The state herald., 1921-05-13
Increase in Potato
Acreage Advocated

Shall we plant more or less pota.
toes than we planted last year? This
is a question that almost every farm
err er in the potato producing areas
is Colorado is asking himself at the
present time. A big drop In prices
for last years. crop, coupled with only
good yield in the state and high
yield in the nation as whole, have
led many farmers TO consider this
question seriously.
Considering the history of the in
dustry and the market for the past
54 years, 1t would seem that 1t will
be safe for the farmer to plant at
least as large an acreage as last year.
and perhaps to slightly exceed it,"
says f. j. Chase of the Colorado Ag.
rcultural college.
In the first place the potato crop
is used up each year A second fact
is that variations affecting the yield
per acre affect the total production
more than the fluctuation in acre
age. Mr. II. c. NJ. Case, economist
In charge of farm management dem
onstratons, Washington, d. c.. says
In recent discussion. THE price
OF potatoes shows direct relation
to yield per acre. Hence a change
In acreage in the past has not been
responsible for establishing the
price, because the iluctuation in
yield per acre accounts for much
greater per cent of huctuation in to.
tai production. The production per
capita over long period is the fac
tor which in the main establishes the
relative wholesale price of potatoes I"
Data based on figures from the Bu.
reau of Crop Estimates. shows that
over a period of SO years the potato
acreage has never declined more
than ten per cent of the proceeding
year. The total acreage grown from
year to year shows somewhat even
trend and 1t tends In n general way
to increase. as population increases
The total production fuctuates vic.
lently from year to year. due largely
to yield per acre. and in many in.
stances drops from 90 to 40 per cent
A study of the supply and demand
could be based upon data for the
United States. Production in relation
to population has somewhat increas.
ed since 1900, and apparently shows
increased consumptation of potatoes
per capita. The yield of potatoes has
noticeably increased since 1895 and
is probably due 10 better cultural
methods. improved varieties and in.
creased acreage in sections especial
ly adapted to the crop. To Illustrate
these points, the 1920 acreage was
low compared with that of the pre-
ceeding years, while the average
yield was 1896 bushels and resulted
in tremendous crop that exceeded
that OF any proceeding year except
1917.
Mr. Case says further. "Uuless a
larger acreage is planted in 1921 one
might expect u much smaller produc-
tion because the average potato yield
for 1911 to 1920 is under 81 bushels
per acre Granting that t,e 1920
acreage will be equaled in 1921 and
that the average yield will be realiz-
ed, the prospective total yield would
be about ISL 100000 bushels. This
would be less than the average pro-
duetion which has been 5.SS5. 900"
According TO available information
for 1921 the 1920 acreage of potatoes
must be more than equalled IL the
ten year average is secured. to pro-
vide normal supply OF potatoes.
The yield for 1921 cannot be pre-.
dicted, but the average yield In the
past "a years has not been more
than 100 bushels per acre two years
In $, eutssiof Increase In population
and the accompanying increase in
consumption, OF potatoes may be sup
piled by either gradual increase in
acreage or by an increase OF yield
per acre. or both