Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-08
NOW OR never;
GREATEST PAYING CROP
Now at War With That Is
s Worth While.
SHOULD DE POTATO LEADER
Taken AS Foodstuf--May Furnish
Quarter Of Food Of Nation--Fig.
ares Show Gradual Decrease in
production Throughout Country.

& Production Throughout Country.
Inc United states produced year be-
fore las, 2S5.437.ooo bushels OF Irish
h or white potatoes, and that was a de-
{ crease OF $4,000. 900 bushels. M COM
T parfd with the year 1915 and 1,A $780,.
600. as compared with 1919, and de-
Iocrease O, 81 100000 as compared with
seven years ago. when the population
4 of vthe country was. abou. 100000
less than Il is now Unfortunately
sAtheS decrease in the production OF po-
Z tatoes has not been the only one 10
: complain OF, |; is bur typical OF grad
uals decreases that have hccn taking
s place in several other lines, OF food
stufrs. while the population or the
5 country has been rapidly increasing,
4 and here is your explanation. in part
y at least Of tho high cost OF everything
THAT is eatable.
3 The American Steel anu Wire Com
& panr. which does an immense bust
i ness with the farmers OF the country.
Z, keeps in close touch with crop con
( dittons and publishes a weekly report
on 5crop and agricultural activities,
= called attention in its last bulletin
to the decrease in potatoes and con-
{ trasts thi. with what is being done
by a foreign nation Germany i'll ono
l$yeaf. with l.aI?. 533. 900 bushels Of po-
s tatocs raised on S.l5l,oG0 acres" near
3tly six times as many potatoes as were
grown in the United States last year.
fhe use 20 which this billion and
4 hak bushels O: potatoes In Germany
n ares nut ia given by tho Bulletin As
e follows: table use. 44o.S00.oo0 bushels:
Rlcohol. al,S33.2oo bushels: starch
gums and doctrines. 51.427 900. feed
ing cattle. $4,000. 900 bushels: seed
{ 191,e00.oo0; left over TO he put into
flakcs. etc. 1oS.ooo.o 600.
VALUE Of THE POTATO
& AS \ FOODsTUEF
zDiscussinE the very small production
= OF. potatoes in the United States not
+ w3thstandine their excellence a. food
+ add for Other purposes. the steel and
Wire Companys Bulletin goes on TO
say:
I S"Thc potato may furnish quarter OF
the food OF the nation nj large: half
+ OF the food OF It's workinxmen.
E'No food lends itself more readily
IstS preparation than the potato. No
3 matter how humble the home. how in
Experienced tho housewife. 1t is always
Dpesihle to prepare baked. fried or
Boiled potatoes and warm over tho left
Z OYER portions.
Fir the average Weld Of potatoes IN
America could he raised 10 zoo bushels
Z
etEht-ounce potato for every man. wo-
man and child OF the nation. every day
+ OF the year. and nearly 100000 ,oo0 bush
efs left to export.
1.-The outlook, at this writing. for the
191t crop ~ material reduction in
Acreage. due TO several thinsa--scHr
p city and high cost OF good seed: high
cost of Il 3 chemicals to control run
Eous diseases. sulphatc OF copper and
corrosive sublimatc: scarcity and high
cost of labor; non-purcha stability Of
normal potash fertilizer and general
ignorance and apathy toward the rca-
soma BILE uses OF commercial fertilizers.
! l;Tn the past. tho cost Of growing an
aero OF potatoes has been $40 to $50:
:; All estimate for 1917 is 1928 to $3.50.
Faced with the size Of the investment
!: and doubtful OF the future, the potato
shower thinks he is playing safe. and
tie acreage is likely 40 suffer.
Now Is THE TIME FOR
8 ~ RECORD-BREtKIN CHOPS
."Never in the life OF tho nation has
there been greater need for big crop
OF, potatoes. with any surplus convert
90 In .ponperishabi" form = potato
flakes for human food and potato
meal for cattle feed. These products
may be stored and kept for years"
+ in these ngures. n" account is taken
OF swee, potatoes. as tho statistics
toes. But the total production OF sweet
& pota toes last year was G7.663.Go0 bush
4 els, a decreRsetiIf $3.50, 600 bushels, as
!. compared witt, $40 preceding year.
y tTakins this showing AZ a text. the
y Manufacturers Record breaches a. lit
a tle sermon 10 the farmers OF Dixie
.Ehe South can raise sweet potatoes
Is an almost unlimited extent They
are exceptionally fine for foodstun
! This section could double its nroduc.
ION Of sweet potatoes with but lit
tie difficulty 1t is already largely in
\ cteasins it's acreage in white potatoes,
Is but not one-half as much AS IL should
DIP: Tho acreage planted to early
i white potatoes in the six Southern
Z States of South Carolina Florida. Ala
Y btJna. Georgia. Louisiana and Texas is
reported by tho Department OF ARri-
s culture IA being 1890" acres or an
9 increase Of 27,cc0 acres over the pre-
Z ceding year.
S f}sE CHANCE ron VIRGINIA
q. AND THE SOUTH
lit is true that Virginia did better
( than these States last year III both
Itish and sweet potatoes. bu; there
iS room for great Improvement in Nir-
h ginia, although IL is known that the
Z farmers and truckers in all parts OF the
Stale are increasing their potato
acreage this year. but perhaps not as
F I1ucn as theY should. for as the
Record contends. the South should br
raising very much larger quantity
GOT white potatoes well a. OF swee;
pot atoes. Not only should the South
4 greatly increase It's potato acreage
{ both Of white and sweet potatoes. but
the. whole country should raise pota-
toes and all other crops that can be
utilized for foodstuTs to an extent far
h gteater than We have ever done In
SathIs country. This is essential II the
: nation is 10 be saved from famine
& ptices and conditions OF foodstun'S
81 -, Dali NAV E0lIjDMChT