Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-05-09

before that time potatoes had commanded
a high price, and little extra inducement
was necessary to increase, planting Of
potatoes to a marked degree. with an i'm,
mense crop as n result.
In the fall of 1917 handsome price pre-
vailed. but some growers insisted that
still higher prices would be reached this
spring and they held their supply Of po-
tatoes in that expectation. Loss resulted
in three different ways. In the hrst
place owing to the excessively wet wea-
Their last autumn potatoes were affected
SO that they rotted badly. In the next
place the supply Of potatoes was so large
that prices were not maintained. In the
third place as a result Of the unusually
cold winter potatoes in cellars that do
not usually freeze were chilled In not
a few instances, and had to be fed to
cattle.
One farmer of Colchester tells us that
owing to wet weather in digging time he
had to spread his potatoes out on the
lawn TO dry and handle them over and
over. His potatoes were chilled later on.
He could have sold for dollar bushel,
even though some Of his potatoes were
NOT of first quality. He Is now feeding
them to his livestock. This season he
says ne will put his potato land into
beans.
From the central part Of the State a
dealer informs us that he recently paid
a potato grower seventy-hve cents for
the very potatoes for which he offered
$50 last fall for earring. It is to be
presumed these experiences could be du'
plicated over and over again.
The Malone Telegram in telling Of the
situation in that section, which Is a
famous potato region. says:
"A Malone potato dealer. who is ir
close touch with the growers, and who
has an accurate knowledge Of the
amount Of 1917 stock now remaining un
sold in Franklin county, estimates the
number of bushels that could be marketed
over and above the amount required TO,
seed and for family consumption unit
new potatoes are available, at from 500
to 10000 bushels for the entire county
He finds that many farmers will feet
a portion Of the potatoes now unsold Il
their cows and other livestock, in pref
erence to selling them at the presen
market price Of TIC per bushel, for ship
ment"
No argument is required to show tina
present lower prices. coupled with tn
discouraging experiences we have in
stanced, will tend to deter farmers fror
planting potatoes for market this season
That is the way in which the law 9
supply and demand operates-in waves c
too little. and then too much, and agai
too little.
On general principles it is safe to sa
that wise farmers will not wholly elm
nate the potato. even though they devot
a little more territory to beans. In a
probability so many farmers will cut o,
potatoes for the reasons stated thu
those who plant tubers for market wi
be fairly sure Of a sale at a reasonab
profit. especially II the war continue
This leads us to the observation tina
year in and year out. the producer wi
sells his crop fairly early Is ahead Of Il
a game. He avoids loss by waste. dang
2 Of fire and unnecessary handling. viii
d If he figures interest on the money d
q posted in the savings bank or otherwi
v promptly loaned and thus made to wo
:. for him. he has income for numb
= of months to offset his possibly high
G. price in the spring.