The Monte Vista journal., 1917-09-29
POTATO CONDITIONS
AS WE SEE THEM
BY Carl Is. Stow

nearly every potato grower In the
San Luis Valley will be busy har-
vesting his crops of late varieties.
The potatoes will be matured and
most of the crop stored for future
delivery.
Seventy-fve cars could be loaded
every day during October and yhe
spuds sold at profitable prices for
the growers, but this cannot be done.
as the railroad companies are unable
to deliver but few cars daily owing
to the shortage Of equipment. Thus.
from this time forward the spuds will
be harvested with a rush, and all the
potatoes that cannot be delivered to
cars direct from the fields, will be
put in storage cellars and buildings,
and sold when cars are available.
Every indication points to a car
shortage that will make it impossible
for dealers to fill their orders, so
growers should fill all cars assigned
to them with the greatest haste. and
cooperate in every way possible with
the dealers to move the big crop be-
fore severe freezing weather comes.
Every grower must have cellar
his crop, because the delivery of ten
to fifteen cars a day by the railroad
company will move but very
small part of the crop during digging
season. Therefore, every effort
should be made to save all potatoes
grown; for our people, or armies.
and our allies need the food. But
the crop should be out of the ground
by October goth, and under the ex-
listing conditions most OF the potatoes
harvested will go into storage.
The grower without storage Is fac
ing serious condition that will
mean a great financial loss to him
as we'll as loss and waste to the
people, unless sufficient storage is OBJ
tanned for his potato crop. So the
grower without cellar should do
everything in his power to provide
frost-proof protection for his crop.
This can be done by constructing a
pit. and building bins with poles and
posts, then covering with straw and
dirt. Plans for such storage can be
obtained from Mr.. F.. II. Thomas or
Mr.. Jamison, and II you are not SUD-
piled with cellars that will hold your
entire crop, you should investigate
his plan of pit storing Immediately.
In the storage of potatoes ventila-
ton and temperature have much to
do with its success, and these two i'm
portant factors seem to be solved in
the plan of storage worked out by
Mr.. Thomas and Mr.. Jamison.
With reference to prices on ma
tured potatoes, we believe the car
shortage should be favorable for
higher prices to the growers. But
the market price was greatly affected
by the heavy shipments Of green DO
tatoes during the month of Septem-
Der, and more time will be necessary
to recover from that slump.
The crop of potatoes throughout
the United States is estimated to he
he largest ever produced. but this
does not mean that prices will be
low, because the demand Is large and
Ill other food stun high The San
Luis valley potatoes are much better
quality than the potatoes in most
other districts and are equal to any
produced in the west. And for this
reason our spuds sell on the outside
markets at the very top prices.
That you may know and realize
the magnitude OF the potato industry
IN the mountain states, we call your
attention to the estimated number of
cars necessary to move this seasons
crop:
Carbondalc district 1900 cara
Greeley district 5000 cars. Western
Slope district $500 cars. Idaho dis
trfct 10000 cars and San Luis valley
district 1000 cars.
Victor hewitt has enlisted in the
u, s. army and hao vona 40 uy.-N