Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-10-28
POOR YIELDS IN ALL STATES
BRING ABOUT SERIOUS
SITUATION.
EFFECTS TO BE FELT
FOR SEVERAL YEARS
Quality of Stock to Be Below
Standard-Ames Potato Expert De
olares There Is No Corner of
Crop.

potato industry is caused by poor
yields" says Prof. A. T. Erwin, of the
experiment station at Ames The low
yields have been caused by the dry
weather and the extremely high tenn
perature in July and August"
According TO Professor Erwin, a grea,
lot OF trouble will be caused in the
potato market for years to come, due
10 the havoc that is wrought in the
standards and quality OF potatoes put
on the market this fall. The question
OF seed for next year assumes a big
Importance, too.
Yield Was Low.
In every state the yield was low this
year, he continues. AS an example
OF what was prevalent in Iowa and
other states, the yield and quality of
stuff raised at the college is illustra-
tive"
Professor Erwin states that on the
experimental station plots the yield
this year averaged eighty-fve bushes
per acre, as compared with 200 bush
els an acre last year.
In speaking of the quality of the po-
"a (ScS GU ALoLi lie plclS, ne states
that it was very low as compared with
other years.
One batch which we took from the
field was passed over one and three
quarter inch SCREEN he continued,
and 40 per cent of the tubers went
thru. Another batch was passed over
a one and one half inch screen and 80
per cent went thru. Then the potatoes
which went thru the coarser screens
were passed over a one and one-quar-
ter inch screen and sold for half price.
Since the ole and three 9narter inch
screen is the standard size, it will be
seen that half the potatoes this year
are below standard grades, and many
places the percentage is hil-Ie than
that
Grades Have Been Lowered.
In Professor Erwin's estimation,
greatest effect of this shortage will be
on the market of potatoes in years TO
come. Already the effect of the short
age can be noticed. The growers are
putting tubers on the market with
practically no grading because the
great demand will allow them TO sell
poorer quality Of spuds.
Western growers, who are supposed
10 put their crops over a two inch
screen are selling stun that would not
be held on a much smaller screen. The
demand for spuds will allow those who
want to lower their standards to sell
for less than those who maintain good
standard.
Such a practice Of selling poorer
spuds at a lower price makes unfair
competition. The man who main
tatns the standard grade will lose out
on his sale.
No Corner in Market.
There is no corner in the market"
says Professor Erwin. The high
prices are without any doubt caused
by the crop failures in nearly every
state. AS far east as New York the
states all report a shortage Of spuds.
The best growers report half crop
The average growers say that they
have no crop at all. The farmers will
have TO buy for their own use.
Western growers are reported to
have better crops than they have in
this section. This is because they have
irrigation. The quality OF irrigated
potatoes is not so high because they
are too watery." he states.
It is reported that in Greeley. Colo,
where potatoes were selling for s1.S5
a hundred a few weeks ago, the price
Immediately jumped to s1.25 bushel
as soon as the real shortage in the east
was discovered. Little relief can be
expected from that source in supply
Ing the shortage.
Effect on Next Years Crop.
According 10 Professor Erwin, the
trouble this year will be apt to cause
a smaller acreage next year, because
some folks will think they can not
afford many potatoes for seed pur-
poses next spring. The crop next year
will be light again.