Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-01-09
POTATO PRODUCTION

1UlAIU TnUUUUIIUN
Methods Should Be Devised for
Using Surplus Crop.
Valuable Lessons May Be Learned
From Germany, Where Potatoes
Aro Used for Stock Food, and
Kept From Season to Season.
Washington.--The necessity from
time to time OF protecting the Ameri-
can potato industry against the intro
duction OF diseases from foreign coun-
tries by quarantine regulations places
upon the nation the responsibility OF
producing its own supply. This means
that the country must continually pro-
duce more potatoes than 1t needs IoF
home consumption. The profitaple
utilization of the surplus so produced
Is of vital importance to the success
Of the industry. as is pointed out !"
department of agriculture bulletin NO.
~, just Issued. This bulletin cans
the attention Of American growers 10
the fact that they may obtain vaiuaoie
lessons from Germany, whose pota-
to acreage is more than double that OIL
this country, and the crop harvest
"a more than four times our total.
The great problem in this country
is how a surplus of potatoes might
best be disposed Of once the produc-
ton has been increased, and II we
look to Germany for our lesson, we
md that their surplus potato crop IS
used as stock food, for making starch.
for the manufacture Of alcohol ana
for drying. In Germany the potato
drying industry is the last develop
ment in the utilization OF surplus Pc
tatoes in factories. This Industry
should particularly merit the consio-
Grafton Of our people. Dried potatoes
have been fed with complete success,
rs substitute for corn, not only TO
cutie but to horses as We'll
To make potato drying prohtapie
industry in this country, one OF the
problems to be met would be the ex-
pense of picking up and delivering 10
the factory of culls and other pota'
toes not marketable for table pur-
poses. This is because of the present
cost of labor. In many cases, ho"
ever. labor already is necessary ana
Is used to remove these culls from
the field to prevent the spread OF po'
tato diseases.
In Germany the industry has proved
such a satisfactory solution for TAX
ing care of the entire surplus crop
that German farmers now seek 10
plant a maximum acreage without
fear that their various markets Will
be over-supplied. ~
The feeding of potatoes to swine
makes one Of the important uses IN
Germany, and nearly 40 per cent. OF
the entire production Is now used IN
that way. 1t is quite probable that
eventually the United States will find
a similar use for the American sur
plus crop. 1t should be mentioned
however, that the potato is merely one
component of a carefully planned "a
ton with the German farmers. The
potatoes are cooked and mixed win
various farm by-products, such as
skim milk, barley waste, Hnseed meal,
peanut meal, etc. The quantity OF
potatoes recommended to be fed daily
to each hog does not exceed ten
pounds. It is estimated that potatoes
have value of rs cents per bushei
for direct feeding. The difficulty IN
American potato districts is that the
agriculture is not yet sufficiently d.
versified; the swine are not there to
be fed. This will, however, be over
come as time passes and farm prac-
.tices become better organized; then
very large quantities of potatoes could
be so utilized.
We are producing today an average
Of 100000 pounds of potato starch
annually, and have made large impor-
tations from Germany besides. This
potato starch is preferred in this coun-
try to corn starch for sizing In cotton
mills. Economic improvements in the
introducing Of new factory methods
and increasing the quantity Of pota'
toes used should make this industry
q more satisfactory one. At present
the margin of profit is not large.
Even with a protective tariff OF one
cent per pound. Factories are able
to run only six weeks In the year.
which makes the interest and other
overhead charges high. The manufac'
ture is now confined to the utilization
of culls and of potatoes partially In
fected with the tuber-rot. There is a
possibility that a method may be
worked out for the drying of culls and
surplus potatoes on the farm before
used for starch making.
The manufacture of alcohol from
potatoes has not yet become estab-
lished in the United States, as the
price of potatoes marketable for 9th.
er purposes has been too high. How
ever, this method might help take
care of a surplus crop, II such a sur
plus were produced In this country.
The enormous losses due to forest
insects have led to the formation OF
- society for the
Study Forest advancement OF
lncor+ Iifo forest entomology
in America. The
members Of this society hold that the
work OF insects has not received the
attention which it deserves.