The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1915-05-20
THE POTATO GAMBLE.

Inc farmers, however, are full more
anxious for real warm spell than they
are Ior any more rain at present. Among
them the potato acreage is much dis
cussed subject at present. Will there be
the Dig reduction that many take for
granted3 Or just because there is so
much talk of smaller acreage, will
many conclude that this is a year to
plant more than usual? The fertilizer
situation Is one element to be considered.
In Aroostook the fertilizer importations
are the most reliable indication of the
amount of the seasons acreage. The
fertilizer shipments into Aroostook up to
April were 80. 440 tons. Up to the same
time year ago the shipments were 49,
ooO tons. This decrease of II ,44O tons,
or about 800 carloads, means a decrease
OF about rs per cent. in the acreage. The
average Aroostook potato grower uses
about carload, or 20 tons of fertilizer,
and SO 1t means that the decrease in the
seasons crop will be equivalent to the
product of 600 farms. 1t may be held
that many farmers will not plant po-
tatoes this spring because they cannot
get the fertilizer. The low prices of
the past winter have left them still in
debt for the fertilizer they used a year
ago. Then the scarcity of German
potash has cut down the supply of fer
tlllzer and stiffened the price. II Aroos-
took is to use 600 carloads less Of DO
tato fertilizer than in 1914, the State as
a whole will use at least 1000 carloads
less, or 10000 tons less, and this means
1000. 900 to 5000, 900 fewer bushels next
fall than year ago. If this proves to
be the case, the Maine farmers are like
n hn nh hor
comes. The raising of potatoes is al
ways pretty much of a gamble, but it
does seem that the 1915 chances are
with the farmer who CANDLES in this
staple
W. B. Kendall of Bowdoinham, lead
ing Maine farmer and the owner of the
largest flock of sheep in New England,
thinks that Maine farmers will be wise
to put in extra acres of potatoes this
year, instead of curtailing the acreage,
incidentally, Mr.. Kendall is manufac-
turer of fertilizer, but that business does
not of necessity color his views in this
matter. He shows that the European
crop is sure to be short next fall. Wis
consin, Michigan and New York, leading
potato States, will curtail their potato
acreage fully 40 per cent this year In or
der to sow more wheat, of which the
price promises to be uncommonly high,
Maine can afford to grow potatoes when
other States have to go out of the bust
ness, for its yield per acre is much larg-
er. In 1914 the Maine yield was 225
bushels per acre, and the next State was
New York, which had yield of 10
bushels per acre. For the past four
years the crops have been large and the
prices low to the farmers though city
consumers have not complained of low
prices-and the law of averages makes it
likely that this is the year for weather or
other conditions to cut down the crop as
whole. This helps Maine prospects,
which is more sure of its potato crop
than most States. Anyway. there will
be demand for about $50, 900, 900 bush
els by the American public next fall and
winter and somebody is going to do a
profitable business by supplying this de-
mand. So the farmers are still thinking
it over and weighing the pros and cons,
for in central Maine it is common enough
to plant as late as June and harvest
big crop.-Maine letter in the Boston
Herald.