Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1919-07-03
Unloading Potatoes From Freight Car to Truck Careful Handling Is Essen
thI From Field to the Consumer.

tiaI From Field |
prepared by the United States Depart
ment Of Agriculture.)
Much Of the loss in marketing pota-
toes due to shipping ungraded, care
iessly handled, diseased stock can be
eliminated by the grower with a re-
sultant increase in his profits. Every
rotten, frozen or under-grade potato
chat is loaded, and every potato spoil
ed while iii Transition in storage, re-
duces the growers profits and means
a waste Of time and labor. 1t also
means a waste of time and labor for
every person handling it, a waste of
car space. and consequently it amounts
to an appreciable loss to the COM
munity as a 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
q protection to the shipper. BY a re-
cent act of congress the inspection
law has been SO amended that anyone
with an interest in a shipment can ask
for an inspection. If a shipper re
ceives word that a shipment has been
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-
tons. Knowing that IN inspector is
available to, the shipper, a receiver
who discovers that he has bought on
q, 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
lervice 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 we're 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, since a large portion Of such
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 Ii
every growers and shippers power
to control.
Sizing Not Always Dependable.
In grading potatoes too much de
pendence should not be put on sizin'
alone. A potato, for example, may b
so covered with second growth knob
that 1t will not pass through thu
neshes of the grader, but it does no
rightly belong In the first grade. TIL
knobs mean much waste and raquir
extra time in preparing the potato 70
the table. Or, a potato may measur
up satisfactorily to the standards 0
size and yet be SO diseased as to b
worthless. A potato may ever presen
a fine prize-winning appearance o
the surface and be far below grade bf
aus OF, injuries on disease Of whic
there is no evidence without cuttin
the tuber. Freezing injury. or hollo'
heart. illustrates cases of this kline
The grower should not be blamed 70
losses which result from these cause
but to a great extent field condition
are the primary cause of the trouble
which appear when the potatoes al
marketed.
In Its study Of shipments OF potatoe
on the principal markets. the inspe'
ton service fnls that late blight tube
rot, which is frequently followed b
Shiny soft rot causes heavy losse
This disease appaie nt at the tim
Vt loading. an the bud tubers can !