The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, December 24, 1917, Page 15

i Potato Market Puzzles Many Absence of the Usual Fall Stampede Has Some Economic and Patriotic Causes That Are Being Overlooked } LOW and steady marketing of the potato crop is proving a puzzler to many people. They have been reading in the newspapers about the tre- mendous potato crop produced ' this year, side by side with the market re- ports of potatoes reaching the big dis- tributing centers like Minneapolis, Chicago and New York in small quan- tity. They wonder why more potatoes are not getting to market, and there has been some questioning as to why prices remain “so high.” But it's not as puzzling as it looks. There are several reasons why pota- toes are not flooding the markets thig year as they have. in past seasons when there were big crops. In the first place the United States food adminis- tration began hammering early last summer on the need for farmers to prepare to store their 1917 potato crop on the farms instead of sending it all to market in a rush.as it usually went under the guiding hand of the potato speculators. FARMERS WERE URGED TO HOLD For many weeks the publicity matter sent out by the food administration emphasized this point. Instructions were published as to how farmers could most cheaply and easily increase their farm storage capacity. The dire need of doing this and letting the sup- ply reach market in orderly fashion was insisted upon. In fact as soon as Mr. Hoover, was firmly settled in his position of food. administrator, one of the first things he took up was the potato situation. There was need that he should for at that time the southern crop was going to market, and extra high prices (for that time ‘of year) were deemed but a forerunner of a wild stampede of potato-growers to reap big prices as soon as the crop was within reach of the money. Undoubtedly this nationwide publici- ty had a wholesome effect, and in- A TIMBER BELT FARMER duced many farmers to attempt sav- ing as much of their crop for winter marketing as they could, in order to avoid the glut that Mr. Hoover said would be disastrous. " However, more potatoes are ready for market than are getting there. Many farmers have not been able to increase their farm holding capacity. Many of them need the money, and potatoes all over the country are ready to be loaded—but the cars can not be had. This has resulted in several mil- .lions of dollars’ loss in the state of JIdaho where the earliest freeze known in- its history caught shippers with their potatoes unprotected, and in heavy losses in other parts of the country. It is notorious that cars have been scarce this year for the shipment of farmers’ produce, potatoes, apples, wheat, and even cattle, having had to be dammed back for lack of' cars. PRICES ARE LOWER THAN LAST YEAR But there is another most superficial reason why potatoes are not going to market this year so fast as they did last year and it seems surprising no one has thought of it. The price is lower, in spite of the greater food shortage. Potatoes are raised for a price, just as steel and copper are manufactured for a price, The steel and copper industries have fallen far below their production of last year in spite of higher prices but the same persons who see no wrong in this, ap- pear to regard it as a crime that farm- ers do not rush to offer up their splen- did potato crop on the altar of reduced prices. When the November crop re- port was issued by the United States government (about the time the fall or northern grown crop was coming out of the fields) the average price of potatoes in the United States was $1.28 per bushel as against $1.35 last year. That difference of 7 cents per bushel plus what it means is enough to make many a farmer hesitate about putting It is good occasionally to ralize that farming is different from sitting in an office and clipping coupons. Here is a farmer of northern Minnesota and some of his equipment. There are still many of these antique rigs in use because farming does not pay well enough to buy better. Get Account Books i Dagmar, Mont. Editor Nonpartisan Leader: In your issue of September 6 appears an article “If There Had Been Ac- counting,” in which emphasis is laid on the necessity of farmer’s keeping an account of his farming operations. 1 was very much interested in the arti- cle, and would like to have you inform me as to how to obtain one of these farm account books, The books. offered by the North Da- - kota Agricultural college or the Iowa State college appear to me to be the ones best suited to the farmer of east- ern Montana. I like the Leader and read it from cover to cover. Keep on hammering the truth into the people and results will follow. WALTER ROLAND. Books of this kind can be procured generally by farmers from their own agricultural colleges without cost, the only condition being that the farmer keep the record carefully and allow the college to make use of any figures it may need in compiling data for general distribution. In such cases the books are returned and a new one for the next year sent also. It is believed Montana has issued such a book. Most agricultural col. leges have. As a rule the colleges pre« fer. that farmers procurs books from their own states but do not refuse to send books outside where home books are mnot issued:: The North Dakota book will' be sent to North: Dakota farmers who will keep the records for use, free of charge, They will also be sent to outside farmers where specially requested, and unless there should be a big demand, there would be ne charge. If there were a big outside de- mand from some state not having such books, a charge of 15 or 20 cents would be made to cover actual cost of manu- facture, his crop in the hands of middlemen right now. What the farmers believe it meana is-that middlemen are trying .to take advantage of the big yield. to break the price. Farmers have been giving care- ful study to marketing during the past year, and hesitate to let their crop go on the market at $1 to $1.50, with the object lesson of last season before them, when potatoes sold at those prices and lower, were held a few weeks and resold at $3 to $5 per bushel. If farmers could be convinced that.no fictitious advance in price would be added to their crop while passing through middlemen’s hands, "it is cer- tain that more potatoes would be of- fered than are now being offered. This is another reason for the ‘slow- and steady stream, -instead of conjestion and low prices. And it is a particularly justifiable reason. Farmers never paid such prices for seed stock as they did last spring in response to an appeal by‘the gov- ernment for a prodigious crop. - Many potato growers, unable to pay the prices planted none. Many who did wished they hadn’t for they lost their crops—thousands of. acres that had cost them $35 per .acre just for seed. Some who got a partial crop are wait- ing until prices reach_a level where they can get their money back. “WAR GARDENS" CUT THE DEMAND It is very ‘probable that the present price to producers would be still lower, and the price to consumers still higher (at least in the near future) if farmers were to break over and stampede to market. Again, farmers are not to be blamed for the comparatively slack demand for potatoes in the big centers. It has been the burden of complaint ‘in produce circles for weeks, in all parts of the country, that there is not as heavy a demand for potatoes as was anticipated in view of the strong cam- paign to, incréase their consumption as a substitute for other food products. Perhaps' consumers will change their point of view and stimulate the market during the coming winter; but while the “war gardens” are still supplying many thousands of city families with potatoes at the cost of last ' spring’s seed and summer care, it is quite likely that the demand will not increase at once, War garden potatoes are not included in the government estimate. These are some of the reasons why potatoes are not going to market by train loads, and why the big news- papers are unable to carry the same kind of “scare heads” in telling of marketing the crop, that they did in telling of the raising of it. The 1917 * crop is-the largest ' in United States history, being estimated in November at 440,000,000 bushels, or 155,000,000 more than last year. There is no profiteering in the 1917 ° potato crop by farmers, and they should not be blamed unless, and until consumers are made to suffer ‘because of farmers. But this will not happen. Potatoes are not going to market any faster because.farmers were urged to hold the crop and spread it out gradu- ally; because cars can not be got to ship as many potatoes as the farmers would like to sell; :and because prices are materially ' lower than last year in the face of a world shortage of food, which logically ought to result in bet- ter prices to the producers, instead of lower prices. ; Frosted Potatoes Severe frost and freezing weather in many of the Northern:states have done considerable damage to the‘late potato crop. In. some Sections: not over 50 per cent of the late crop has been har- - vested and. many of the potatoes yet in the ground have been damaged. The federal license systém now in ‘effect and which -affects potato ship- pers, prohibits ‘them under:penalty of forfeiture of their license, from ship- ping or selling for food purposes from points of production, potatoes which~ are not practically free from frost and decay, - “Practically free” s interpret- ed that the potatoes shall mot be in- jured to an extent readily apparent A birdseye view of the pork situation may be had from figures announced by the U. S. food administration. At the beginning of this year, swine in the United States numbered about 67,450,- 000. In Europe the decrease in hogs since the war began has exceeded 32,- 000,000.- So the European shrinkage equals about half the total number of hogs in the United States. In the face of this situation, the American people consumed more than three pounds more pork per capita during the last- fiscal year than in the average of the three years before the upon casual examination, and that any . damage from the causes mentioned can . be removed by the ordinary method of paring without appreciable increase in waste over what would occur if the potatoes were perfect. To ship the frosted with the good . means an economic loss of potatoes, _labor, freight charges and, in addition, the loss of car space, which, incident- ally, is of vital concern in the present shortage of carg. = - : It is not alone a question of patriot- _ism, but also one’ of good business judgement, to see’that potatoes going _ to. the wholesaler or retailer are in ~ marketable conditicn. - on Pork war. The meat supply is below the demands now made on it. In a recent statement, Herbert Hoover, U, S. food administrator, said: “If farmers are to find markets for feed, it must be to a great extent through an increase in animals, The monetary interpretation of this situae tion must be that we will have a low range of prices for feeding stuffs, and in view of the European situation and our own shortage in hogs we will have a high average price for pork products Therefore, it must be to the vital ad- . vantage of every farmer to raise hoga." Market Potatoes Steadily According to estimates, this years crop of Irish potatoes will exceed aver- age production by 100,000,000 bushels. If growers place their entire surplus on the market now or hold over the bulk of the crep until spring, a flooding of the market will result at one -time or the other. To bring about more equal distribu- tion growers are urged to market the flow of the vmp through the channels - of trade to the consumer will aid ia 1917 crop throughout the nine months that it will be used as food. An even stabllizing the market and preventing - Undoubtedly: potatoes will be used extensively this year, They may be substituted for grain, which bears shipment better and occupies less space. Growers can also help to ine crease consumption by proper grading. The culls may be utilized on the farm as food for poultry and livestock. Machine Shed Efficiency ‘With the high price of farm machin- ery and the increasing difficulty of making enough steel to meet the needs of the war, implement manufacturers, railroads and other indusfries, the farmer can do & 'good deal to help by housing his farm machinery. If it can not be put under cover, at least cover “‘all the bearings with oil so that they cannot rust or corrode. Adding a few years to the life of each farm machine PAGE SIXTEEN is one way. to hélp win the war, and this iz one way of doing a bit that win cause no hardship to any one, According to an English - dispat bacon s not procurable in many lfut:l?: er shops in London. In shops able to secure supplies, the price ranges as high as 60 cents per pound for grades . of bacon that before the war sold for 18 centa