Daily Kennebec journal., 1917-10-19
Friday, October 1e, 1917.
Two Dollar Potatoes.

toes at the loading platform reported
from Eiverhead Long Island, VIII
bear the attention OF the United
state Food Administration.
Totatocs are a food staple. THIS
,oar's crop of them is enormous
throughout the country. There is not
the actual scarcity which existed last
te.r 20 Justify or partially tusufE'
8 high price
At s2 hushei the average pro-
ducc- is getting 900 per cent on his
tn.estnent and after deducung an
overhead expense pertaining TO the
farm he will still have whachlns
profit left-New York Sun.
II il this sort IT inexcusable, un-
forrive7hIe icno. ance or crininalty
tha, hes created and maintains the
very worst kind OF class prejudice now
existing-th" gulf between the pro-
ducer and consumer II the editorial
management. ~ the New York Sun had
made the slightest endeavor to obtain
tho facts II would never have per-
mittad any writer TO perpetrate such
an out and out falsehood as the above,
unless for some selfish purpose it is
wholly lost to sense OF honesty.
we select the most charitable course
and assume that the SUMS irresponsi-
hl. declarations are due TO monumental
ignorance and a desire 10 blanket all
the complaints Of the rabble among
itr city readers upon the farmers. in
stead o, upon its advertisers among
grocers and commission men.
Again we admit that the New York
crop is far ahead Of the Maine crop,
per acre. this year. Perhaps the aver
age Weld, In the empire state in 1911.
Is rising $50 bushels per acre of mar
ketabie potatoes, but we doubt it. In
Maine II ts below 100 bushels to the
acre including the great potato empire
Of Aroostook But even at $50 bushels
per acre for an average gives only $500
per acre At 50 a bushel.
Now does the Sun editorial ire
sponsible have the faintest notion of
the cost Of raising an acre of potatoes?
We have positive proof that he has not,
or. Just as sure proof that his asser-
tions are absolutely dishonest and for
the purpose OF keeping alive the preju-
dice that progressive forces are doing
their best 10 sweep away.
II the New York Sun editor should
take the highest producing acre in
New York and apply to it the lowest
cost acre in the state and sell every
potato produced at s, a bushel from
the field then its 800 per cent. claim
might be somewhere near true-if
overhead expense. loss of soil fertility.
interest on money invested and upkeep
OF the farm plant taxes and the like,
were not considered That is. even
400 bushels Is not an improbable yield
for prize acre. and the seasons direct
outlay might not have been more than
si,s for seed, fertilizer, poison and
labor But to refer TO such fortunate
result in this or any other year is a
display OF ignorance or dishonesty.
For the sake OF giving the Sun writ
or line OF questions to ask OF farmers
in that state, in Vermont Massachu-
setts. Connecticut, New Jersey or any
other. We would suggest that seed
planted In the spring of 1917 was
worth from 81 TO 81 per bushel, and
that from ~ TO Is bushels are required
to seed an acre. on each acre in most
localities one ton of commercial fer
tlizer is used and its cost last spring
was from $40 TO se5 per ton according
to potash percentage, or lack Of it.
Let us give the outlay on a seven
acre field in Kennehec country:
Seed. qn bu at s3a5 sa92 80