Proceedings of Seventeenth Normal Institute 245 



In a year like 1914, when we had a crop of potatoes in the 

 United States equivalent to 114 per cent, and these potatoes were 

 allowed to go onto the markets unstandardized, the result was 

 that the price per bushel was below what they had actually cost 

 the farmer to raise, many potatoes being so large that they were 

 undesirable. This caused the city dealers a great deal of expense 

 in grading, if they were to get the most returns. This expense 

 means storage, rent, insurance, and labor of men doing the work of 

 getting rid of the culls at a low price. The alternative is to sell 

 these potatoes to the poorer trade, taking out the commission and 

 returning the balance, if any, to the farmer. 



If every farmer in the United States had graded his potatoes in 

 1914 according to this standard, practically 82 per cent of our 

 entire supply would have been put on the market. The ten-year 

 average is 74.6 per cent. As this year's yield is estimated at 74.2 

 per cent, you see that we are practically normal, and potatoes are 

 selling for from 50 to 85 cents per bushel. An 82 per cent crop 

 could be marketed at a price that would allow the farmers fair 

 remuneration for raising potatoes. 



Let us consider potatoes that grade through meshes 3 and 4 that 

 conform to this standard for smoothness, etc. They will waste 

 only about 7 per cent in cooking, while large, irregTilar potatoes 

 will waste from 17 to 30 per cent. 



In conclusion: 



1. Selected seed gives larger yields of desirable sized potatoes. 



2. Planting far apart increases the size of the potato and 

 lowers the value of the crop. 



3. Quality is affected by method of planting. 



4. The general public should be educated to the value of a 

 reasonable sized potato, smooth and free from blemishes. 



5. All large and irregular, as well as small potatoes, should be 

 marketed through the stock on the farm, 



6. Undesirable potatoes should never be allowed to come in 

 competition with standardized stock. 



