Williams news., 1917-09-20
STORE THE POTATO
ARRANGEMENTS FOR cONSERV- ING THE COUNTRIES SUPPLY.
Government Officials Tell of the Fa. eilities That Have Been Provided Complete Plan of Action
 Has Been Mapped Out

" ocAAh6 Ioh. -H4CduS O1 COuSGTfluS the nations potato supply in the most effective manner have been worked out by food administration officials. They have issued the following state ment:
 Unusual facilities for financing stor- age are offered American potato grow FITS as result of war conditions. The federal reserve system is at their dis posal, and farmers who store their 1917 potato crop in approved local ware houses, may obtain, upon their storage receipts, 90-day loans from member banks of the reserve system at a rate aot to exceed 6 per cent. MT. Lou D. Sweet, potato expert with the food ad- ministration, was instrumental in bringing this matter to the reserve boards attention.
 New England growers have started 8 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,OOO,OOO bushels United States crop-without causing m overstocked market and the result Ing loss of all profit on the crop.
 The growers communicated with To- gal authorities in their respective ytates, who in turn laid the situation before the food administration. A con- ference between the growers, local au- thorities and experts from the fooo administration was held recently at Boston, Mass. A plan of action was mapped out at this meeting which in- cludes the following:
 1. Marketing of only one-third of the crop at harvest time; another third in % days, or placing in storage and later distributed as demand affords oppor- tunity; the remaining third to be stored by the grower and marketed throughout the year.
 2. All potatoes to be graded with care, taking out culls, cuts, cracks and any that are bruised. It was recom- mended that a wire screen grader be used-one and seven-eighths-inch mesh for oblong tubers and two-inch mesh for round ones. Graded stock then to Dc placed in good two-bushel sacks one hundred and fifteen pounds to the sack-and the sacks sewed tightly 60 az to prevent shucking and bruising.
 8. Increasing the load in each rail. road car from the normal 30,OO0 pounds. That these cars can be un- loaded within "A to 36 hours Of their arrival at destination.
 4. That municipalities and other bodies provide storage for as large quantities as possible at the peak of the harvest.
 "A storage house," said Lou n. Sweet, who attended this meeting, '..such as will conform to the require ments laid down by the Federal Reserve board, does not call for a specially con- structed house. There are innumer. able buildings, which, If properly cleaned, ventilation provided, and man. aged so as to maintain a temperature of about 85 degrees, will answer ad. mirably for this purpose.
 "This year the United States planted its potato crop from the poorest quail ity of seed that ever went into the ground, and naturally the harvest will be potatoes 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. ton of potatoes"