The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1914-01-29
Regulations For Admitting
Foreign Potatoes To The u. S.

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. It is quite probable that
eventually the United States will find
similar use for the. American sur.
plus crop. It should be mentioned.
however, that the potato is merely
one component Of q carefully planned
ration with the German farmers. The
potatoes are cooked and mixed with
various farm byproducts, such a. skim
milk, barley waste, linseed meal, pea
nut meal, etc. The quantity Of potar
toep recommended to be fed daily to
each hog does not exceed 10 pounds,
1t is estimated that potatoes have =
value Of Is cents per bushsl for direct
feeding. The difficulty In American
potato districts 10 that tho agriculture
II not yet sufficiently diversified; the
swine arc not there to be fed. This
will, however, be overcome a. time
passes and farm practices become bet
ter organized: then very large quaint
ties Of potatoes could be 20 utilized.
Potato search
We are producing today an average
Of 20,0OO,00 pounds Of potato starch
annually, and have made large inn,
portations 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
a more satisfactory one. AT present
the margin Of profit is not large, even
with protective tariff Of l cent per
pound. Factories are able to run
only six weeks in the year. which
makes the interest and other over
head charges high. The manufacture
is now confined to the utilization Of
culls and of potatoes partially in
fected with tuber-rot There is
possibility that a method may be
worked out for the drying Of culls
and surplus potatoes on the farm
before used for starch making.
Potato Alcohol
Tho manufactures ~ o1oobo1 frov,,
potatoes has not yet become estab-
lished in the United States. as the
price of potatoes marketable for other
purposes has been too high. However,
this method might we'll help take
care of a surplus crop if such a sur
plus were produced in this country.
In Germany the price of potatoes
for distilling between 1906 and 1910
averaged 1873 cents per bushel. An
indirect benefit from the manufacture
of potato alcohol is the feeding
value of the mash LETT after distilla-
ton. With the rapid increase in
the use Of direct combustion engines
for automobiles and other purposes
and the decrease Of our present sup
ply Of petroleum, it may soon come
about that the manufacture Of potato
alcohol will be paying industry.
While these uses for surplus pota-
toes are not perhaps Immediately prac
ticablc, the fact that Germany has
discovered them should assure our
farmers that potato. growing need
not be a speculative enterprise, but
that any surplus may be amply cared
for, nor need there be any "lean po-
tato years." Half of the German crop
destined for stock food, alcohol and
starch constitutes an accessible re-
serve from which deficiencies in the
supply of table potatoes may be
filled.
Other interesting data on the role
of the potato abroad and its increas-
ing Importance as an American crop
is contained in the bulletin entitled
Lessons for American Potato
Growers From German Experience
which may be had upon application
to the division of publications, United
States department OF agriculture.
D. C.