Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-12-20
Potato Stock Much
Less Than Year Ago,
Saws u. S. Authority

United States department OF agriculture
bureau of markets, says: PJsa," rF.p ut3N.
| ing rapidly and remaining st-rS mach less
than last season.
The potato movement is ruS a. = b inl
which permits comparison with The pre- Ell
ing season. The bulk Of shipments B.,er
November are from the thirteen S.aies; tai
! ifOrnia. Colorado. Idaho, Maine, Michigan,
Minnesota. Nevada, New York, North Dd-
kOta, Oregon, Pennsylvania. Washington ana
| NiscOnsih. The remaining states at this
time of year have practically completed
! their shipping season CT ore small shippers.
none of these small shippers exceeding totals
of 500 cars. Thus ID may be assumed That
the remaining stock Of the season is mostly
| in these thirteen states.
For the season 10 December .. inclusive.
this group Of winter and spring shipping
states has moved 60.371 cars. compared with
46.9i6 cars Tor the corresponding time
; last year, q gain OF 1895 ears this year.
Notwithstanding this years much lighter
& q average volume Of a large number
Of officially recorded carlOt shipments from
three prominent shipping sections, east and
west, this year is a little ever 200 bushels
per car. Applying that figure TO the crop
yield for the two last seasons gives 3l9,712
cars for 1918. based ON the official October
estimate which was stated as LIB, so 600
bushels. compared with ga, OS5 cars for
2i7 $50. 900 bushels. the final 1917 estimate
Tor these thirteen states.
Last seasons shipments of the thirteen
states TO this time were &c Of6 cars out of
seasons total from the same states of
lO2,2lS. TIE shipments were about ID per
cent of the total estimated crop OF these
states. The states, like Colorado. shipped
about nine-tenths of the total estimated
crop. Other states, like New York. shipped
having many nearby markets shipped in
carlOts less than une-fifth OF the states
estimated total crop. The average ship
ments were nearly 20 per cent of the crop.
Without doubt the larger proportion OF the
crop is shipped in years when the crop is
short, but the crop this year is a large
one il may be assumed, TO reach basis
of comparison, that about the sane proper
ton of The crop will be shipped this year as
last. On that basis this years total ship
ments for these states will be - per cent
of the yield Of 319,772 ears or OLGA cars
compared with 1O2,2lS, last years total
from the same states.
stock i'll shippers Hands Greatly Reduced
DcdUcting Che 60,371 cars already shipped
leaves 3S.213 cars yet TO come, compared
with 76.lI2 ears. which were still to be
shipped after Decemher = of last year
mercial carlOt stock Of potatoes : less than
pne-haif that which was on hand the cor
iesponding time last year.
However, the actual shipments will, no
doubt, respond decidedly changing mar.
ket conditions. Thus in 1916 the prOpUF-
ton Of carlOt shipments TO the total crop
was very high, because nearly all reserves
Of prices toward the end of the seaSon. Last
year Ii was reported that considerable avail
able stock was not shipped because OF low
prices. UnfavOTable conditions OF trans
pOrtation also reduced tie shipments az
times AMI perhaps affected last years tOtnl
volume of shipments.
On the other hand. il appears that the