The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1919-06-27

tial From Field
prepared by the United States Depart
ment of Agriculture)
Much of the loss in marketing pota-
toes due to shipping ungraded, care
lessly handled, diseased stock can be
eliminated by the grower with re-
sultant increase In his profits: Every
rotten. frozen or under-grade potato
that Is loaded, and every potato spoil
ed while In transit or In storage, re-
duces the growers profits and means
waste Of time and labor. 1t also
means waste of time and labor for
every person handling 1t. waste of
car space. and consequently 1t amounts
to an appreciable loss to the COM
munity as whole. The United States
department of agriculture, through its
markets inspection service, Is trying
to eliminate this waste.
The original purpose Of the markets
inspection service was conceived to be
protection to the shipper. BY re-
cent act Of congress the inspection
law has been SO amended that anyone
with an interest In q shipment can ask
for an inspection. II shipper re-
rejected by the cOnsignee, he can wire
the markets inspection office In desig-
mated markets asking for an inspec-
ton to determine the cause and JUS
tice of the rejection. The result, as
was anticipated has been the almost
| automatic elimination of unjust rejec-
lions. Knowing that an inspector Is
available to the shipper a receiver
who discovers that he has bought on
falling market does not feel so free
to reject the shipments consigned to
him. The mere establishment Of the
inspection service has almost done
away with that practice.
Faults Found in Shipments.
A second type of protection this
service was designed to afford shippers
was in settlement Of claims made
when shipments were received in bad
| condition. Inspections have demon
strated that the railroads often are
responsible for losses, especially for
freezing injury, and for troubles which
may arise because Of delay in transit.
These results were expected, but to a
surprising extent it has been found
that the grower and shipper also are
responsible, in that they often ship
poor, undergrade, diseased potatoes
Growers and shippers must be held
responsible for much Of the loss which
results from shipping diseased pota-
| toes Cipoa largo VCrti0D of cuoh
losses can be controlled, If not entirely
prevented, in the field.
Serious damage results from careless
handling when the potatoes are har
vested. Too many people handle pota
toes as though they were cobblestOnes
rather than a perishable product
Even the breaking of the protective
skin frequently proves serious. Such
injury not only damages the appear
ance and necessitates deep pairing OF
the tuber, but affords ready entrance
to infection. Loss of this sort lies il
every growers and shippers power
to control.
Sizing Not Always Dependable.
In grading potatoes too much de
| pchucASc SuOulu HOt bc put on SiAiHi
alone. A potato, for example. may b.
so covered with second growth knobs
that 1t will not pass through the
meshes of the grader, but 1t does no
| rightly belong in the first grade. TIL,
knobs mean much waste and requir
extra time in preparing the potato 70
the table. Or, a potato may measure
up satisfactorily to the standards o
size and yet be so diseased as to b.
worthless. A potato may even presen
a fine prize-winning appearance OF
the surface and be far below grade be
cause of injuries or disease of whicl
there is no evidence without cuttin
the tuber. Freezing injury, or holloN
heart. illustrates cases of this kind
The grower should not be blamed 70
losses which result from these causes
but to a great extent field condition
are the primary cause of the trouble
which appear when the potatoes ar
marketed.
In it's study of shipments of potatoe
on the principal markets, the inspes
ton service finds that late blight tube
rot. which is frequently followed b
Shiny soft rot, causes heavy losse;
This disease is apparent at the tim
Of loading, and the bad tubers can