The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1922-09-28
EASTERN IDAHO
POTATO SITUATION
Prospects Of Market for
Idaho Potatoes are
Better

Collins and Wapello Thursday
morning was 40 cents, and sacks
were quoted at 8, 10 and IL cents
according to quality.
The early frosts we're sufficient to
kill the potato vines and start the
ripening process, and now 1t Is open
season for the potato harvest. The
potato growers Of this county are for
the most part supplied with storage
facilities, and must rely upon their
own labor for handling the crop. 1t
is well known that only limited
number of cars can be obtained in
which to ship potatoes, and only q
steady movement Of the crop will
prevent glutting the market. 1t
would not be advisable for Idaho
growers to store all their crop for
futures, because we want share OF
the trade from day to day in the
markets; some people are buying for
storage all the time, and we should
be furnishing some Of them, and we
should be getting some ready money
while unloading the potatoes we
cannot store. If the market fluctu-
ates we shall get an average of the
various prices paid and we shall not
be injured by the extremes.
Growers in western Idaho could
have marketed considerable of their
crop at about the end of July, but
they held for more. Early in August
the market weakened and they
moved lot of potatoes and got
nearly nothing for them. Then they
waited and suffered a heavy loss by
sun scald, and when the price went
up some, they could not get cars. By
the time they could get cars rather
plentiful, the eastern Idaho potatoes
had ripened and were better quality
than theirs and now they have less
reason to dig the rest of them be-
cause of the damage from sun scald,
they have scarcely any cellars to put
them in, and they are inferior when
compared with others on the
market. So, by their dilly-dallying
and uncertain ways and lack of pur-
pose, they have just about lost their
potato crop.
The Greeley district in Colorado
has not had rain nor sufficient water
for irrigation, and there is great
shrinkage in their estimated pro-
duct. Wisconsin and Michigan are
now supplying the Chicago markets,
Maine and New Jersey having pretty
we'll subsidized. Idaho potatoes are
selling very we'll in Kansas, Okla
homa and Texas, but they do not
stand much chance east of the Mis-
souri, river.
People will be buying and eating
potatoes all winter, and the COM
munities that keep cars loading and
moving all the time will be able to
fill orders steadily at some price.
Those that store them and abso-
lutely wait for certain price are
likely to lose. Experience shows
that even tho the price gets up to
where they want it, cars may not
be available just at that time or
weather conditions may prevent
loading.
Bingham county growers are in
the fortunate position Of being able
to- store their crop and load it out
gradually from now until June, and
that is the safe thing to do. Those
who stored potatoes last fall when
they were worth $3.50, were gambl-
ing with $3.50 Of capital. Those
that store the so cent potato of the
present time, are only gambling
with SO cents of capital. They can
store three sacks Of potatoes now
with the same risk of one sack last
year. This year they have a chance
to gain. Last year they had wider
margin for loss because $3.50 Is
above the average price for potatoes.
This year they have margin for
gain because SO cents is below the
average price of spuds. Idaho has a
good prospect in the markets be-
cause Of the superior quality of her
potatoes.