The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1916-12-28
POTATO SITUATION
Local Market Quiet and Prices Remain
Unchanged-Three Cars Are
Shipped on Tuesday,
Chicago Market Strengthened Last
Week-Notes of Interest to
Growers and Shippers.

| Veth-NOCeS OI interest 10
Growers and Shippers.
The local potato market remains
unchanged as to prices, and no spuds
are being marketed here. The farm
ers have potatoes on hand yet, but
buyers estimate that the bulk of the
crop is out of original hands.
Three cars Of potatoes, seed stock,
were shipped from here this week.
There appears to be no demand for
eating stock.
At the present time local buyers
estimate that there are about 200 cars
Of tubers 100000 bushels) stored in
Princeton warehouses. Last year at
this time the local houses contained
800 cars or more.
It is expected that after the first
of the year a brisker movement will
develop.
The Chicago Market.
Early last week the Chicago potato
market strengthened, and the demand
has shown some improvement. The
call has been for strictly frost-free
stock, and stock that was badly
touched or off as to quality was hard
to move at any price. While the de-
mand for the week was somewhat
better than has been prevailing, still it
was not active and operators were not
expecting renewed activity until after
the first of the year.
The cold weather which has pre-
vailed has occasioned considerable
trouble on account of frosted cars,
and good proportion of stock arriv-
ing from distant shipping points was
thus affected. Receipts from the
western states have suffered the great
est damage but Minnesota shipments
have also been quite badly affected;
cars from nearby sections have also
suffered but in lesser degree. This
frosted stock was in poor demand and
moved very slowly at prices low in
proportion to the amount Of damage.
!; A good proportion Of the cars ar
irving at Chicago have been Of stock
from the western states, which have
shipped unusually heavy so far. One
operator returning from that section
this week states that big inroads had
been made upon the supply and that a
. ! - Il, IL
might be expected.
, Wisconsin Certified Seed Holdings.
About 1000 bushels of certified
seed potatoes were grown in Wiscon-
sin this year. The bulk Of this, &C.
; cording to officials of the Wisconsin
Potato Growers Association, was pro-
duced by 80 growers, living in 20 diff
ferent counties and was of the Rural
New Yorker and Green Mountain var
ieties. The remainder of the crop con-
sists Of Burbanks, Irish Cobblers and
Triumphs.
The average acre yield on the GER
titled stock this year is estimated tc
be about lib bushels. Due to un-
favorable weather and various other
conflicting causes, the total Of the GER
, titled seed potato crop is about 14,00C
bushels less than last year. It is
, however, still more than twice the
production Of 1914, the initial year OF
the certified plan.
1t is thought that nearly 80 per cent
:, of the certified stock raised this yea1
will be held by the growers for spring
y planting purposes. Most of the stock
, will probably be used within the state
despite an increasing outside demand
> New Varieties Of Potatoes Developed
Among other things discussed il
the annual report Of the chief Of the
Bureau of Plant Industry is an account
, of efforts Of the government to i'm
prove potatoes. The report says:
"The department is conducting &
number of potato Investigations, chief.
ly at Presque Isle, Me-, Greedy, Colo.
: Jerome, Idaho, and Norfolk, Va. One
of the main features Of the work is
the development, from seed, Of new
- varieties of potatoes specially suited
y for certain purposes and adapted te
;, the special growing regions in which
- such products can most economically
be produced A large number of seed
lings have been grown and those Of
= greatest promise only retained, Of
which there are some 900 considered
of sufficient value to warrant further
testing. These are being tried out il
cooperation with the various state
stations, and as soon as they have
L proven their worth in any locality ar
= rangements will be made to establish
:. the variety in the region to which i