The Monte Vista journal., 1915-12-11


Monte Vista last week.
During the months of September
and October this year l represented
the Farmers Cooperative and Educa-
tional Union of Monte Vista investi-
eating the potato markets in several
localities where his crop is not pro-
duced A very careful study was
made of the outside conditions rel
ative to the prices and the best meth
ods for marketing the crop, and with
the assistance of friendly selling
organization several hundred cars
Of potatoes were sold and the
prices materially raised
Many surprising and interesting
matters developed during my trip
through parts Of Colorado, New Mex
leo and Texas. But of all the favor
able and unfavorable conditions
which l found. the enormous demand
for our potatoes and the advantages
our valley has in freight rates, in
terested me more than all other mat
ters and has convinced me that the
potato growing industry of the San
f,1 f,,t
possibility.
There Is market for more pota-
toes than are being produced at the
present time in this valley, and this
demand comes from a non-potato
producing district which lies at our
very door where we have advantages
In freight rates; advantages by quick
est deliveries and advantages by rea-
son of the earlier maturity of the
crop as compared with other west
ern potato growing districts.
At the present time there are four
large potato producing districts in
the Rocky Mountain region, and this
year the production in these various
sections was estimated to be as fol-
lows: Greeley 1000 cars; Western
Slope 1000 cars; Idaho 1000 cars;
and San Luis Valley 1900 cars.
These estimates show that our valley
Is by far the smallest producing dis
tfict of this vast region, and it is my
opinion that it will continue to be the
smallest, until potato-growing is
founded upon a sound business basis
paying the producer a good profit
every season. Then, after these pro-
ntable results are attained, the
farmers of the San Luis Valley will
be ready and willing to double their
present acreage of production.
The marketing of our potato crops
when considered from business
view, should be handled very much
the same as manufacturer would
sell the products from his factory;
VIZ a strong selling organization
should be established and statesmen
sent to such districts as offer the best
markets for the product.
The crop of potatoes raised in
'hls valley II sold at a profitable
price for our growers will bring
nearly half million dollars, and
when such an enormous sum of mon
ey is to be realized during period
Vi about two months time, it is
surely good business policy to give
'hese shipments and collections per-
sohal attention. Then too, large
BUSINESS such as this cannot be man
aged with profit and success to all
concerned unless salesmen and rep
resentatives are in the districts to
winch shipments are made, and the
sales department strongly organized.
All my life I have heard it said
mat the prices Of farm produce are
regulated by the supply and the de-
inand. Or in other words IL there
an over-production of certain
crops, that such prducts will sell at
iower price; and II there is short
ase In the total yield Of the crop,
men the price will be high Now.
II this had been true this year, our
farmers would have received at least
100000 more for their potato crop
III Government Crop reports