The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-05-10
POTATO EXCHANGE IS
\ VERY POPULAR AMONG
I. LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS
Many Local Farmers' Bodies
! Are Joining Minnesota
:. ORGANIZATION

three local organizations of farmers
in various parts of the state have
voted to affiliate with the Minnesota
Potato Exchange, which was organ
lied last winter by representative po-
tato growers of Minnesota and lead
ers of extension work Of the State
College of Agriculture. When sixty
or more locals have completed all
details of affiliation, the statewide
exchange will begin to operate.
Ludwig Mosbaek of Askov, Pine
county, president Of the association,
is giving most of his time to organ
ization work. He has attended scores
of meetings of local potato associa-
tions, has every where spurred the
workers and organizers to greater
activity and has started little paper
at Askov which he calls the Mime
sofa Potato Exchange News. Mr..
Mosbaek's motto, when he has any
thing to do, is ''Do 1t Now"
Potato growers at Grand Rapids,
Warba and Big Fork, all in the county
of Itasca, did not wait for the initia-
tive of the president Of the exchange
or any of his directors, but organ
lied three local associations with no
outside assistance. They then invit-
ed President Mosbaek to visit them
and pledged to have all their pota-
toes and other root crops handled by
the exchange. They gladly accepted
President Mosbaek's advice that the
produce of members only should be
handled by the new organization.
While the produce of non-members
will not be taken for shipping, the
bylaws are such that it is an easy
matter for any worthy producer to
join. Farmers organizations at Shell
", jenkins, Walker, Hampton, Nc
Intosh, Wrenshall and various other
points have either voted to- affiliate
with the statewide exchange or have
recently organized potato associations
and will take immediate steps to join.
. tt3Local marketing associations"
says Mr.. Mosbaek, twill not lose their
individuality by joining the Mime
sofa Potato Exchange. Their standard
product will be marketed by the ex-
change as each local associations
product, and, if certain local asso-
citation constantly markets a good
quality, in standard grade, the con-
sumner will demand those potatoes and
be willing to pay something extra for
them. There is a chance for the
community spirit so to influence the
growers in a given locality that only
highclass products will be sent to the
markets."
There will be no cheap potatoes
until next fall and possibly not then,
depending Of course on the size and
quality of the new crop. County
agent leaders at Uniyersity farm fore |
see a marked decrease in acreage in
several potato producing sections Of
the state. Editors who attended the
short course held at the farm recent |
" also predicted a cut in the acreage |
to be planted in their locality. A Clay
county editor forecasts decrease OF
from 20 to 30 per cent. Commission
men and wholesale dealers, on the
other hand, are looking for practical
" the same acreage as in 1919.
A normal potato crop in Mime
sofa, say the dealers, will force down
prices to a leyel where everybody can
afford to use the tubers literally and
where business transactions can be
maintained on a large scale. Pres
ent high prices, they further say, are
the natural sequel of a short and
unsatisfactory crop in 1919. This
crop was fairly good in the northern
half of the state but failure in the
southern half.
The Modern Sheke'.
What has become Of the old-fash-
toned minister who used to preach
AGAINST laying up money to rust anc
eorrode while in this mundane
sphere? The few shekels we get bear
NO rust and they do not corrode, nel-
ther doth moths prey upon them, but
We sometimes feel like it goes the
ether way, although they have not
broken in upon us.-Hartford Repuo-