Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-10-15
POTATO RESUME,
Annual Sizing Up of Sit
uation from Houlton
The Farmer Greatly Handicapped by
Rot, Rust and Weather, but Not Dis
eouraaed-The Crop, Present Prices
and the Prospects for. Winter and
Next Season

eouraaed-The Crop, Present Prices
and the Prospects for. Winter and
Next Season
Houlton, Me-, Oct. 14.-One can see
at a glance that fortunes will not be
made in potatoes in Aroostook county
this season, and in fact many farmers
are figuring just how they are to get
Their money out of the crop which is
now being housed.
The price however from the field is
one of the highest ever recorded. hav-
ing scared to $3.50 per barrel; but the
average farmer has harvested only
about SO per cent of normal crop
and many but 25 per cent. His acre
age has been just as large and the
cost of carrying on the work has been
more expensive than in former years.
The wage question from the very be-
ginning has been a grave problem for
the Aroostook farmer. for wages have
run as high as $3.50 to 81 per day and
board, with food prices high this has
brought the expense up to nearly IS
per day.
Again the farmer has had to pay
almost double for his fertilizer and the
cost of spraying has been no small
sum Some farmers say that they
have harvested as low as from 5 to
IS barrels to the acre on ground where
the year before over 100 barrels to the
acre were~faised. Many say that acres
were not worth the digging considering
the wage problem and as result they
must ask a higher price for their stock
" hich they hope will eventually come
Prominent buyers say they do not
intend to hold and are keeping their
stock rolling as rapidly as possible"
There is however very little stock COM
irg in 10 the market
There is simply nothing doing in
the potato market" said prominent
potato buyer Friday. Everything is
dead and every day seems like Sunday
in our office. In other seasons at this
time of the year we have been so
rushed that it would seem almost i'm
possible for us to get caught up. Our
mail would bring hundreds of letters
which kept us busy and each day we
were swamped with kilograms asking
, for quotations, etc There is none of
that today. There is simply nothing
doing in the potato market and | feel
| that it is. a grave mistake. Prices can
not go much higher. for buyers can go
elsewhere and buy on a lower market.
feel that the farmer who holds for a
higher market is to have his awaken
ing some day and he will again real
ize that he has made a mistake in
holding.
Very few agents are visiting North
ern Maine this season. Last year the
country was over-run with automobile
dealers and agents Of every description
but this season there is no induceme
for the farmer is holding with a tight
! hand all the money he has
Last season new buildings We're built
and old buildings repaired, new tour
ing cars were bought, mortgages were
lifted and property changed hands.
There are, however, many farmers
who have from good luck or from some
freak of nature harvested fairly good
crop, while lis neighbor has Jared with
less than half a crop. These farmers
are contented to soil at present prices
rather than take chances. hut whore
there are few selling there are hun
dreds holding and storing, hoping for a
higher market. There are MANY old
potato buyers who say that with pota
toes bringing $3.50 per barrel from the
field and with conditions as they are at
the present time it is policy 10 sell and
not to hold for the market is liable to
slump a almost any time.
according to statements issued NV
the government in regard to the 20
lato situation, one can easily see that
the country has large uuantitv to
draw from. The government has nlacad
the total crop for 1917 at 452.923 oOo
bushels. This is a cut Of about oOo
600 from the estimated crop made nv
'he government Sept. l. Nearly half Of
ms shrlnKage is reported to be in the
Maine crop, which has stunned from,
an estimate of 100000 Bushels on
sept. !, to an actual 20,846. 600 bushels
on oct. /. which is practically final
Tor the year, for the crop was rs ner
cent harvested at that time.
Inc Aroostook farmer should hear
III NINA that while slight slumps have
peen reported for New York. Wiscop-
SIN ana Michigan, they are still crod
lted with bumper crops. Now yo,,,
mas fallen back from an estimated a.
$4,000 bushels to 3S.919. 900 bushels and
3IS59,00O 70
while the government places the av.
eaase crop per acre for Maine around
100 bushels others who have been No.
"ilne say the crop will not average 125
oushels persacre and many say as low
as 115 bushels ~"
II is estimated that Aroostook comfy
planted 100000 acres of potatoes .n;s
1oe S Ia" ana with an estimated yield of
80. a.. 1usneis TO the acre would make the
.o1i crop for the county 12.5Oo mn