Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-11-06
GROWERS Hear
new DATAON
POTATO CROPS
Federal Expert Says
Sterilization of
Acreage to Guide
Future Planting.

Potato crops OF the future along
the Atlantic coast will be grown in
accord with information rather than
conform to hopes and fears Of the
planters, Wells A. Sherman Of
Washington. in charge OF the fruit
and vegetable division Of the bureau
Of economics, United States depart
ment of agriculture, told Valley
growers Tuesday afternoon.
The meeting was held at the
chamber Of commerce building and
was attended by 60 growers, Off
cials or the Rio Grande Potato
Growers Association and shippers.
Growers Organize
Mr.. Sherman told Of how potato
growers from Florida to Maine are
being organized for the mutual be-
nefit of all sections and expressed
the hope that such arrangement
could be extended to all sections Of
the United States.
During the meeting, which was
presided over by Fred Latham. pre-
sident Of the association, 1t WIS
pointed out that Valley growers are
principally interested on informa-
tion from Florida, Louisiana and
from Alabama late in the season.
The organization Of which Mr..
Sherman was speaking, the Inter
state Early Potato Commission. was
formed after "the disaster OF 1923, in
which the crop was marketed at
a heavy loss" This organization
which includes the principal grow
ing sections along the Atlantic sea-
board. was formed at a meeting
called by the governor of Virginia.
In Second Year
This organization, entering its
second year OF operation. Will meet
ITS first real test III 1879 and 1880
and II IL succeeds Will have re-
placed guessing with business me-
uhodS III the east coast potato Sec
tiOnS, MIR. Sherman said.
The organization mas a paid sec
retary, and four committees. First
is the acreage StabiliZatiOn COM
mittee. which has for its duty deter
minatlon of the acreage which 1t IL
safe to plant in each section.
I'm the past acreage has been de-
termirSd by two hopes and two
fears" the speaker declared, The
hope that the price would be as
high as it was the year before and
the hope that the price would re-
main as high as the price Of the
seed until the crop could be
sold; or the fear that the price
would be as low as the year be-
fore and the fear that the price
would remain as low as the price oi
the seed until the crop was sold.
1T can be proven that at least
half Of the changes in acreage have
been made in the wrong year and
that at least half Of the disasters
in potato growing are man made"
Mr.. Sherman said.
The duty Of the acreage stabil-
ization committee is to assemble all
the facts available and on that
basis recommend expansion or re-
duction Of acreage. In making this
recommendation the needs Of the in
dividual district are considered
The second committee Is that on
credit stabiIizatiOn, which seeks TO
have the bankers and supply deal
ers OF each section TO advance Gre
dit in ratio with the recommended
tions Of the acreage committee
Another IS the market stabiliza-
ton committe which seeks to aid
in marketing the crop OF each sec
ton in a manner best suited to the
conditions.
Paid Secretary Works
The fourth committee Is the sub
stitute crops and enterprise COM
mittee, which seeks TO discover other
uses for ground released by re-
duction OF the potato acreage.
The speaker went into details on
the workings of the organization
and told how IL was highly success
full i'm its first year. He said the
key to the situation was a paid
secretary who receives a salary OF
$4,000 per year. being paid by the
federal department and the extern
sion departments Of the various
states.
'This prevents the organization
being under obligation to any one
section over another and stops sus-
picion Of control by any interested
party"
Mr.. Sherman suggested 1t was
possible that states In the midwest
would be taken into the orEaniza-
ton and suggested that Rio Grande
potato growers inform the Texas
extension service OF their desires
he said he estimated extension or
the service to this state should cost
not more that $50 per wear to be
applied on the salary OF the secre-
J tarT.