The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1922-03-26
Big INCREASE in
POTATO ACREAGE
Preparations Are Under Way for
Largest Shipping Season in His
tory of State.

Preparations are now under way for
what promises to be the largest po-
tato shipping season Florida has ever
had. The acreage planted to new po-
tatoes in Florida this year is estimated
by the United States department of
agriculture at 24,s00 acres. This Is an
increase of 1913 per cent over the 1921
acreage of 16,600 acres.
AS heretofore, a field station of the
United States department OF agricul-
ture will be maintained at Hastings
for the purpose Of keeping the growers
and shippers informed of daily market
conditions and prices in the large con-
Stunning markets to which Florida pota-
toes are shipped. Daily advices re-
garding shipments to market from
other producing sections will also be
available. This information will enable
the distributors to regulate shipments
so that the demand in the various
markets can be properly met.
Florida produces the first new po-
tatoes to appear on eastern markets.
There is practically no competition
and the crop is readily disposed of
Last year 1915 carloads were market
ed. The quantity would have been
much larger had not excessively dry
weather affected the yield. In 1920
more than S.S45 carloads were mar
keted. New York is the largest single
market, and received els carloads last
year. Philadelphia received $50 cars;
Chicago, 141 cars; Pittsburg los cars;
Cincinnati 100 cars; Baltimore 81 cars.
Primary destinations of the entire
crop numbered more than SIS cities.
Florida new potatoes bring high
prices as compared with old Stockton
the markets, but the net returns are
generally small because of high pro-
duction costs and heavy losses result
ing from excessively rainy or dry
weather. The hazard of weather dam
age is ever present and necessitates the
planting OF considerably more potatoes
than are marketed.
Last year the general average pro-
duction for the season was only about
30 barrels per acre on account of the
unusually dry weather. Also, prices of
labor and fertilizer were high at plant
Ing time; freight rates were high, acre
age had been reduced, and there was a
large supply of old stock on the mar
kets. In 1920 a heavy rainfall continu-
Ing for IL hours on May 18th caused an
estimated damage to the crop of ap-
proXimately $4,000 900 in the Hastings
section alone. There had also been a
sixteen inch rain in February just af-
ter large portion OF the crop had been
planted, and about two thirds of the
entire acreage in the Hastings district
had to be replanted.
Hastings, located on the Florida East
Coast railway. 56 miles south of Jack
sonville, and 10 miles east of Palatka,
is the center of activity and practi-
cally the entire crop is marketed by
distributors located at that point. The
larger portion of the crop is marketed
by distributors on a per cent COM
mission. The distributors have selling
contracts with the growers in consid-
Grafton OF advances made for seed and
fertilizer during the growing sea son.
The Spaulding Rose is the only va
riety grown in the Hastings section.
Farther south, Irish Cobblers are pro-
duced. On the west coast some Bliss
Triurnphs and Irish Cobblers are
grown. The double head barrel is the
standard container. When barrels can
not be obtained sacks containing $50
pounds net are used, although these
containers are not suitable for stock
that is not fully matured and firm
Crates of various sizes are also used
to a limited extent.