The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-08-24
CONSERVE AND
STORE POTATOES
ADVICE GIVEN IDAHO GROWERS
BY THE FARM MARKETS
DEPARTMENT.
Greatest Question Now Confronting
the Potato Grower Is the Providing
Of Suitable Storage for the Pros
pective Abundant Crop.

PSCStvC ADunuant crop.
Boise, Idaho.-The potato outlook is
discussed In State Farm Markets Bull
letin No. IL, by Harvey Alfred, director
OF the department of Farm Markets,
who says:
We are assured by authorized rep
resentatives Of our railroads that there
will be greater number of cars avail
able for moving the crops of 1917 than
there has been In previous years, on
the condition, however, that shippers
cooperate with the common carriers
to the extent of loading all cars to the
maximum capacity, instead Of the
minimum as has been commonly done
In the past; also by shippers releas-
Ing all cars at the earliest possible
moment after they are received.
These railroad officials inform me
that If this request be complied with
1t will be the means of providing an
additional three hundred thousand
cars for the moving of our crops. 1t
is also desired that shippers of perish
able products use box cars, just as
long as 1t will be safe to ship in them,
before requesting refrigerator cars.
This will enable the common carriers
to provide us with far greater num-
Der of refrigerator cars, when it is
really necessary to have them, and
thus move the crops more quickly.
Prices and Markets.
Many potato growers are much wor-
ried over what they deem indications
of dull market or low prices for po-
tatoes this fall. While it is certain
that Idaho's potato acreage, together
with that of many other states Compel
ing with us on the potato market, is
mach greater than last year and above
the ten-year average, there are condi-
tons governing the demands for all
food stuffs grown in 1917 that have
never before existed. Among these
conditions materially affecting the po-
tato market and which will have a
tendency to Stiffen the price, are:
First: The great necessity that we
as a nation now must use substitute
food for wheat, flour and meats. If
we aid our allies in the supplying of
foods to the extent that their people
may live and their armies continue the
struggle, we must provide them with
wheat and flour to far greater ex-
tent than we have ever done before,
and because of the shortage of wheat
in the United States it means that we
must sacrifice much and provide
substitute for flour and nothing we
grow so readily serves the purpose as
the. potato.
Second: If this is correct, 1t is also
certain that there will be u greater
demand abroad for our potatoes than
we have ever known before. 1t is a
staple food with all, or nearly all Of
our allies, as well as many neutral
countries which must now depend up
on the United States for their po-
tatOes.
The greatest question now con-
fronting the potato grower, and the
world at large, Is the providing Of
suitable storage for this prospective
abundant crop until it can be moved
to the market, which we are certain
to have. All the common carriers are
bending every effort to provide, with
our help, the needed cars for shipping.
Now, wish to warn the producers that
II they do not anticipate and guard
against a probable difficulty in NOV
ing their crops with profit at the
time of digging, their effort to increase
production, In answer to the nations
call, will in a measure be fruitless. On
The other hand If they will prepare to
cellar their potatoes, / have
every reason to believe they will not
have labOred in vain. The people will
be fed and the profits to the growers
will justify their great efforts.
I have frequently informed the
grower that he had little cause to fear
that ruinous prices would prevail for
the early potatoes, despite the fact
that there was in the U. s. one Of the
heaviest crops Of early potatoes to be
placed on the market that we had
known in years. The correctness Of
our forecast has been proved, as evil
1ence of which I wish to cite you to
government reports Of prices that pre-
vailed August 1, 1916, and those of
August /, 1917. The U. s. depart
nent of agriculture, under date Of
August s, 1917, makes this statement:
The average price paid August l,
1916, for potatoes in Idaho was $1.O0
Der bushel, and that Of August I, 1917,
vas $1.93. The average price paid
August 1, 1915, for potatoes in the U.
J. was 95.4 cents per bushel, while
hat of August 1, 1917, was Sill. The
same conditions that will effect fall
md winter prices this year, entered
nto the cause for higher prices being
,aid for early potatoes in 1917 than
we're paid in 1915.
-. +ho fnr,,or'c c1oUon ha NGnN. |