Tombstone epitaph. (Tombstone, Ariz.) 1887-current, 1917-09-02
T0CONSERvE POTATO
Officials Of Food Administration
Give Advice.
Unusual Facilities for Financing Stor.
age Have Been Arranged and .
Comprehensive Plan Of Action
Is Recommended.

Washlngton.-Offici of the food
statement concerning the steadying OF
potato prices. especially important just
now:
Unusual facilities for financing stor-
age are offered American potato grow
ers as a 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, 9O-day loans from member
banks Of the reserve system AT rate
not to exceed Is per cent. Mr.. Lon ID.
Sweet. potato expert with the food adj
ministration. was Instrumental in
bringing this matter TO the reserve
boards attention.
New England growers have started
a 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 i5.ooo,nco bushels
Of potatoes-oae-tenth Of the entire
United States crort-without causing
an overStockei market and the result
ing loss Of all profit on the crop.
The growers communicated with To-
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 nj
Boston. Mass. 4 plan Of action was
mapped out ~ this meeting which in
cludeS the following:
!. Marketing Of only one-third Of the
crop al harvest time another third in
81 days, or placing In storage and later
distributed as demand affords oppor-
tunity: the remaining third Ia be
stored by the grower and marketed
throughout the year.
= All potatoes 10 be graded with
care, taking out culls, cuts, cracks and
any that are bruised. II was recon.
mended that a wire screen grader T.
uSed-one and seVen-eighthS-inch mesh
for oblong tuberS and two-lnch mesh
for round ones Graded stock then 10
be placed in good two-buShel sacks
one hundred and fifteen pounds TO the
sack-and the sacks sewed tightly 50
as 10 prevent shucking and bruising.
3. Increasing the load in each rail
road car from the normal 5000
pounds. That these cars can be uD'
loaded within - 10 81 hours OF thei'
arrival at destination.
!. That municipalities and Other
bodies provide storage for as large
I quantities as possible nj the peak OF
the harvest.
"A storage house. said Lou d
Sweet. who attended this meeting
such as will conform TO the require
meniS laid down 10y the Federal Reserve
board. does not call for specially con
structed house There are innumer
able buildings. which If properly
: cleaned. ventilation provided, and man
aged 81 as to maintain Il temperature
I of about - degrees. will answer ad
nirably for this purpose.
This year the United States planted
It's potato crop from the poorest quail
fly Of seed that ever went into tbs
ground. and naturally the harvest vii
I b. potatoes Of poor quality. Stric
/ grading. careful packing. common
sense storage. and careful shipping arr
necessary TO insure just returns to 'h'
4 growers who have responded Ia the
presidents call for increased produc
/ ton OF potatoes