Gunnison news-champion., 1921-05-13
POTATO ACREAGE SHOULD
BE INCREASED ACCORDING
To AVAILABLE IMPORTATION
Figures Indicate that in Order to
Have Normal supply of Potatoes
for 1921, Last Years Crop Must
BE More Than Equailed.

Shall We plant more or less p1ta-
toes than we planted last year , This
BE- question that almost every farm
er m the potato producing areas in
Colorado Is asking himself AZ the pres
eut time. A big drop IN prices for
last years crop, coupled with only a
good yield in the nation as 4 whole,
have led many farmers 20 consider
IHls question seriously.
Considering the history Of the
Industry and the market for the past
tItty-f0lr years, il would seem tha,
l. will b. safe fOr the farmer 70
last year, and perhaps 70 slightly eX-
csed H." says +. J. Chase Of the Colo
rado Agricultural College.
L. the tirst place the potato crop
Is used up each year. A second fact
IS that variations affecting the second
yield per acre affect the total produe-
ton more than the Quotations IN acre
age. H. c. VI. Case, economist in
charge Of farm management demon
strAti0n, Washington. ID. c, says In
q recent discussion; The price Of pO-
tatocs show 4 direct relation TO the
yield per acre. Hence, . change in
acreage in the past has not been res
pousIblU for establishing the price
because the fuctuatiUn in yield per
acre accounts for q much greater per
cent Of fluctu4tion in total production.
he production per capita over q long
period is the factor which in the main
estabh shes the relative wholesale
price Of potatoes.r
Data based on figures from the Bu-
rrau Of Crop Estimate shows that
over n period OF ffty-thrce wars the
potato acreage has never declined
more than ten per cent Of the preced-
ing year. The total acreage grown
from year to year shows a some
what even trend and il tends in a
general way 10 increase as population
increases. The total production fuc:-
uatas Violently from year 20 year, due
largely TO the yield per acre and in
many instances drops from 20 to 10
per cent.
4 study Of the supply and demand
could be based upon data for the o..
$. Production in relation 20 popula-
ti1u has somewhat increased since
1900. and apparently shows increased
consumption OF potatoes per capita.
The yield Of potato has no,iesably
Increased since 1925 and is probably
due 70 better agricultural methods,
improved varieties and increased acre
age in sections especially adapted to
the crop. To Illustrate these points:
the 1920 acreage was low compared
with that Of the preceding years,
while the average yield was 1895
bushels and resulted in q tremenduous
crop that exceeded that OF any pre-
cceding year except 1917.
Ir. Case says further: Unless a
larger acreage is planted in 1921, one
might expect much smaller crop be
cause the average potato yield for
1911 TO 1920 is under 81 Bushels per
acre. Granting that the 1920 acreage
will bc equalled in 1921 and that the
average yield would be about $751;
600 ,GGO bushels, This would be less
than the average production which has
bfcn 3S5 SS5 600" According TO avail
able information for 1921, the 1920
acreage of potatoes must be more
than equalled II the ten year average
is secured, to provide u normal sup
ply Of potatoes.
The yield of 1921 cannot yet be
predicted but the average yield in the
pas. s. years has not been more than
100 bushels pr acre two years in sue
ceSsion. Increase in population and
the accompanying increase in consump-
ton of potatoes may be supplied by
either gradual increase in acreage or
by an incTase Of yield per acre, or
both.