The Nevada County picayune., 1917-08-23
TOCONSERVE POTATO
Officials of Food Administration
 Give Advice.
Unusual Facilities for Financing Stor- age Have Been Arranged and a Comprehensive Plan Of Action
 Is Recommended.

WaShlngt0n.-Oh Officials of the food administration gave out the following l statement concerning the Steadying of i potato prices, especially important just now:
 Unusual facilities for financing stor- age are offered American potato grow CTS as q result of war conditions. The federal reserve system is at their dis posaI and farmers who store their 1917 i potato crop in approved local ware houses, may obtain, upon their storage receipts 90-day loans from member banks of the reserve system al rate not to exceed 6 per cent. Mir. Lou p. Sweet, potato expert with the food ad- miniStrati0H. was instrumental in bringing this matter to the reserve boards attention.
 New England growers have started movement to take advantage of this ruling to help them solve their market Ing problem. The prospect which the growers of this group of states face Is that of handling 45,000O00 bushels of potatoes -one-tenth of the entire United States crop=-Without causing m over>tocIed market and the result ing loss of all profit on the crop The growers communicated with lo- cal authorities in their respective states, who in turn laid the situation before the food administration. \ con ference between the growers, local au- thorities and experts from the food administration was held recently at Boston. Mass \ plsn of action was mapped out at hi, meeting which in- cludes the following:
 l. Marketing of only one-third of the crop at# harvest time another third iii 90 days or placing in storage and later distributed as demand affords oppor- tunity; the remaining third to he stored by the grower and marketed throughout fhe year.
 .. All potatoes to be graded with care. taking out eulls. cuts. cracks and any that are bruised II WIS reeomz mended that q wire screen grader be used-one and seyeu=eiGhthS-tuch mesh for oblong tuheFs and two-iheh mesh
 
 be placed ta goed two-bashei saeks- one hundred and fifteen pounds to the sack-and the sacks Sewed tightly Sa as fo prevent Shucking and bruiSing. 3. Increasing the load in each rail- road car from the normal 3o.oO0 pounds. That these ears can he un- loaded within 24 10 36 hours of their arrival al destination.
 I That municipalities and other bodies provide storage for aS large quantities as possible at the peak of the harvest.
 "A storage house." said Lon D. Sweet. who attended this meeting, such as will conform 10 the require ments laid down ny the Federal Reserve board. does not call for a specially con strueted house There are innnmer- able buildings. which, if properly cleaned ventilation provided, and man aged so as to maintain temperature Of about 3a degrees, will answer ad- mirably for this purpose.
 This year the United States planted its potato crop from the poorest quail fly 0f seed that ever went into the ground. and naturally the harvest will be pofatoe~ of poor quality. Strict grading careful packing, common sense storage. and careful shipping are necessary to insure just returns to the growers who have responded to the presidents call for increased produc- i ton of potatoes.