The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 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 a 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
a waste Of time and labor. 1t also
means waste of time and labor for
every person handling it, waste of
car space. and consequently 1t amounts
TO an appreciable loss to the com
munlty 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
q protection to the shipper. BY re-
cent act of congress the inspection
law has been so amended that anyone
with an interest in shipment can ask
for an inspection. If shipper re-
ceives word that 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 an inspector is
available to the shipper, 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 q
surprising extent 1t 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 In
every growers and shippers power
to control.
Sizing Not Always Dependable.
In grading potatoes too much de-
pendence should not be put on sizing
alone. A potato, for example, may be
so covered with second growth knobs
that it will not pass through the
meshes of the grader, but 1t does not
rightly belong In the first grade. The
knobs mean much waste and require
extra time in preparing Che potato for
the table. Or, potato may measure
up satisfactorily to the standards OF
size and yet be so diseased as to be
worthless. A potato may even present
a fine prize-winning appearance on
the surface and be far below grade be
cause of injuries or disease OF which
there is no evidence without cutting
the tuber. Freezing injury, or hollow
heart. illustrates cases Of this kind.
The grower should not be blamed for
losses which result from these causes,
but to a great extent field conditions
are the primary cause Of the troubles
which appear when the potatoes are
marketed.
In its study Of shipments of potatoes
on the principal markets, the inspec-
ton service finds that late blight tuber
rot, which Is frequently followed By
Shiny soft rot. causes heavy losses.
This disease is apparent at the time
# Iaadin9. end the tad tubers can be