Smyrna times., 1923-07-25
DELAWARE is ONE Of STATES
NOTED FOR POTATO RAISING
IN GROUP OF 1S STATES WHICH
CONSTITUTE EARLY DISTRICTS
U. S. Government, In Its Farmers
Bulletin Report Shows How Gov
ernment Aids the Several States

Farmers Bulletin No. 1916, issued
by the Department of Agriculture, in
cludes Delaware in the list of 18
States which constitute the early-po-
tato districts of the United States.
The other States in this group are:
Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida,
Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana,
Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, New
Jersey, North Carolina, Oklahoma,
South Carolina, Texas and Virginia.
''The early-pOtato CROP" says the Bull
letin in it's foreward to this compre-
hensive report, "must be grown quick
ly, harvested promptly, and sold at
once. 'The special market problems
are those of the truck grower rather
than of the general farmer. A good
return to the producer depends upon
reaching the market early or when
it is comparatively free from other
potato supplies. "The crop requires
special methods of handling, grading,
packing, loading, transportation, and
distribution. Everything must be done
promptly and well, hence the need of
the best and most competent business
methods. Markets for such crops
change rapidly and they vary from
season to season. The grower should
keep in close touch with crop news,
shipment reports, and market quota
tions. "The market season for any
early potato district lasts only a few
weeks. Into that short time must be
condensed the net results of the sea-
sons work and planning" This bull
letin tells how the crop is sold in the
leading early-potato sections: the To-
cation, shipping points, and relative
Importance of the heavy early ship
ping districts are shown; kind and
source of information which the grow
er should use are described; and the
grower told how to make the most of
them in marketing his crop.
Early Tubers MOney-MaIling Crop
The early-potato crop is a money
product in some sections, farmers de-
pending upon it for their cash income;
merchants relying on it to sell feTti-
lizer, tools, seed stock, and general
supplies, and dealers trade in the pro-
duct and on this product bankers ad-
vance money to the growers. At the
early-potato season, times are good or
bad and money is plentiful or scarce
in the district according to the returns
received from early potatoes. The
growers in the early sections are adj
vised by the Agricultural Department
to study the market or crop situation
carefully and plant according to the
probable supply of old potatoes in the
spring and early summer, as indicated
by reports of northern production
shipments, stock on hand, and prices
as it is stated, that in a general way
a short main crop means a good de-
mand for early potatoes and high
prices unless the early crop is very
large. Likewise, it is advised thai
the grower watch crop conditions il
the districts which may compete witt
his own, for light planting or croI
damage in earlier competing section!
means greater demand for his owl
crop. "Plainly," the report says
competing shipments must be watch
ed not less than the total crop in or
der to enter the markets at the righ
time"
e Market News Provided at Washington
Market news of countrywide scop
= is provided by the United States De
partment of Agriculture, and variou
crop and market reports are issue
by state departments of agriculture
Market information about the earl
crop is sent out from field stations o
the Department of Agriculture a
such central points at Washington, n
c., Elizabeth City, N. c., Charleston
S. c., and Hastings, Florida. Tn
shipping point news for the Easter
Shore of Maryland and Virginia an
of Southern New Jersey and Delawar
re is issued from the Philadelphia maI
al ket station. An important part of tn
potato business is the way the ship
ments are made. "While the double
headed barrel seems the best pack
VI age" advises the department, "Othe
SC containers cost less and are still use
extensively. The cloth-tOp barrel
the leading kind in the coast section
north of the Carolinas. The top {
cloth or bagging is fastened by dri'
ing down over it the top hoop of tn
- barrel and mailing through the hoo
3. and cover. AS the slaves have litt
m oo support at the top, these barrels al
~ =, not as strong as the double-heade
eS barrel and there is less protection
hu the contents both at the sides and to-
The cloth-top barrel breaks dow
easily. Still more so, the slat barr
which is rather flimsy affair. tt
, Slated type used largely in the Bear
4 fort section has an inside hoop TIL
adds strength but is likely to eau
bruises to the contents. Sacks a
still used in the South Central Stat
and more or less in other section