The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-12-16

Whether to dispose of his potato
crop direct from the fields or to hold
II for possible later increase in prices
Is a problem which c%onfronts the
farmer every fall. On the one hand Is
the buyer offering figures based on he
quantity and other conditions OF the
market. the tightness of money. and n
number Of related conditions which
may deDreSS the price. On the other
he is confronted with the expense OF
storing. the shrinkaga in volume, pos
sibility of ror and the uncertainty OF
the number OF bushels of potatoes
which will be carried over by farmers
throughout the United States 10 be
thrown into the market during the win
ter.
Ii Is n problem that has to he decid-
I'd. because the crop Is there. II is n
for himself.
Lowest In October.
Prices naturally are lowest In OCto-
er. when the crop is just out OF the
rruund. A study recently made by the
lurcau of markets OF the United States
Department OF Agriculture. covering
the last ten years. shows that the av-
trage price rises very slightly until the
Isl OF January. and then more rapidly
Until the LIST OF March. another sharp
dvancc taking place between April
planting season and June.
These are only averages. however.
md may he varied by many conditions
which The farmer has To study largely
COR himself. Reasoning about future
| prices is unusually difficult at the pres
mt time.
A study OF the general tendencies OF
he market, whether up or down. mus
be based On facts pertaining to the
country as a whole. The supply may
be less than usual In u certain county.
hut II the total crop Is large the size
Of This total crop will have II tendency
10 lower prices egpn ip this country Of
Shor' production. Prices In that county
may te high. but they will not he so
high as they would have heon e rI
total production " the country had no
been so large. That is. the conclusions
| drawn from the broad and general in
formation may be modified by local
conditions I'm each section. but II re
minis ,rue that each OF these sections
will be Influenced by the up and down
tendencies which move over the COun
try as n whole. A Crower should know
~. .-.. ....g =. Il =. -
proper allowances for local conditions
and he should not only study the pc
tato market but should consider the
size OF the sweet potato and Other
food crops which may influence the de
mand and cOnSumnt'on ~ white rot"
toes. He must watch too. the trend Of
general prices, especially food prices
" general prices should fall decided,
hon the price Of potatoes might b.
carried lower than the years prOduc
ton would warrant.
The accompanying chart shows the
farm prices Of potatoes. AVERAGED for
all sections Of the country on the first
Of each month from October. 1910. 70
September. 1920. In his table ~ com
par'son Of the December and tho fo'
lowing March prices show that In 1917
and 1913 the March prices were lower
than the December prices. and in 1919
and 1914 they were slightly higher, al
though. allowing FOR shrinkage and
other losses Of storage, they really
yielded q smaller return, That Is. I'm
I Of ri pg bo,inn a trpI,ntfn, 90 n,nr,
than 4VO.O0O WN bushels. The March
price was either lower than the De
| cember price. or the increase was neg
'rgible. When the production has been
less than 375.0O0.WN bushels. the price
has tended to increase as the season
advances. The farmer may judge for
himself whether the same factors win
apply 10 the present wears crop. which
is estimated at 413.WO 600 bushels by
the bureau Of crop estimates and he
may apply his own conclusions In de-
Gliding when Il sell his potatoes.
In comparing the prices Of one ear
with those of another. allOwanc" must
he made for the rapid decrease during
the last few years IN the purchasing
mower of the dollar. For instance.
:1.G1 per b,shel In 1919 and 50 cents
per buShel in 1911 does u NEAR that
POTATOES were twice as valuable nj the
later date. Tho increase In price may
have had nothing TO do with the pota-
to business. II may nave come from
the general rise which increased the
price OF wheat. clothing and machinery
as well az potatoes. The effects Of
The general Increase In prices must be
eliminated from the calculation.
Potato Exports Small. r
Before attempting to analvze the re-
lallOns between the figures OF pro-
duction and stocks on the M hand
and prices on the other, II should be
mentioned that potatoes are not ex-
ort-d TO any great exrent. seldom
r.a than I nap cent NJ tho CrOn 00-