Grand Forks herald., 1917-03-01
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POTATOES AND PRICES.

Forks FOR $3.50 n hushel Last fail
they sold around dollar. The re-
taller. therefore. Is making a profit
of about 100 per cent which looks
like pretty long profit
But isrhis altogether correct? How
about shrinl,nse? When the dealer
stores 100 bushels Of potatoes In the
fall II is certain that he will not take
out 100 bushels I'm the spring. The
thing is impossible. Under the very
best possible conditions there In some
loss. There Is usually some loss In
weight due to the Shaking off of dirt,
ana as rule there IL n very material
loss OF weight from evaporation.
These LOSSES may be slight, though
they must he figured on. There is
almost always some loss from rot,
and the possibilities in this direction
are almost unlimited. Certain yarie~
ties Of rot cannot he detected by ex-
animation In the fall. but IL the tnvis-
ihle spores are present In sufficient
quantities the loss by spring may ens-
ilS he. and frequently Is total by
spring. That risk In something to ha
taken int" account by the dealer In
laying In his stock
Then there Is damage by frost Sew
eral local people have informed The
Herald that potatoes which they had
bought. and which appeared perfect,
were sweet from having been frosted.
In several cases tn. unused pOrtions
We're returned and the sale was can
celled, In several cases these pota-
toes have heedi frosted in storage In
other cases they were chilled in the
fleld. either before or after digging,
In any case there is loss. The flavor
or The slightly frosted potato may be
endured. In a pinch. htit IL is not de.
sirhhle to anyone, lf the flavor Ia
very pronounced the potato Is unsnl-
nhie. and in All cases Its keepins
qualities are impaired
sun further. wa have to consider
the Year by year results OF keepinc
potatoes over winter. Ii appears
likely that the Individual, dealer or
grower who last fan stored sound
potatoes and who protected them
properly. Will make n good prott IL
Is not nj all certain that even at the
present high prices. the business of
carrying over potatoes has been prof-
liable this year when II Is considered
az whole. and when account la tale-
en OF the losses sustained Nv manv
individuals from frost. rot and other
causes Ana II Ia practically certain
that II the facts for number OF
years. say five or ten. are taken, there
has been no profit In holding potatoes
over. II Ii likely that even the large
profita which viii be made this year
by occasional individuals will not Off
set the Losses Of former years. For
instance, one fall, not many yea rs ago,
large quantities Of potatoss were
stored In North Dakota when the fall
shipping price was about 40 cents,
FOR some unexplained reason the
opinion was general that prices wou.d
he much higher In tho spring. The
contrary was the fact, In tho spring
there was no demand whatever for
shipment, Potatoes were worth less
In the southern markets than the
freight charges from North Dakota
would have been. The local market
wah therefore the only market, and
that was glutted. Individual dealers
sold few bushels In the spring at IS
cents Then they tried to give them
away, and failed. because everyone
was supplied. and potatoes cannot be
Kept over summer, Th0usands of
bushels were hauled out and dumped,
purchase price. storage and cartase
eharses representing total loss
When facts like these are recalled 1t
VIII he heen that carrying over pota-
toes Ia not by any means all profit.