Rural School Leaflet 927 



WHEN TO SELL POTATOES 



K. C. LiVERMORE 



In the Northern States potatoes can be stored for several months after 

 they have been dug, and each year the farmer who raises potatoes to sell 

 is confronted with the question, Shall I sell from the field or hold for a 

 higher price? In answering this question wisely, two things must be 

 considered : first, what is the price likely to be several months after digging ? 

 second, how much will it cost to store the potatoes? 



The price of potatoes fluctuates more widely than that of most general 

 farm products. These fluctuations in price are the result of variations 

 in supply. The tendency is for people to use about the same quantity 

 of potatoes the year round; but when there are not enough to supply the 

 usual quantity, the price goes up and some consumers use less. When 

 there are more potatoes than are usually eaten, the price drops so as to 

 encourage people to use them more freely. The quantity of potatoes 

 consumed in the United States is increasing year by year as the population 

 increases; at present we use on the average about 325,000,000 bushels 

 each year, or about 3.5 bushels per individual. When the total production 

 is less than normal the price tends to be higher than the average, and vice 

 versa. 



Thus we can predict, to a certain extent, the price of potatoes if we know 

 the acreage planted and the probable yield. The Crop Reporter gives 

 this information. This is a report published monthly by the Bureau of 

 Statistics, United States Department of Agriculture, and can be obtained 

 free by any one. It gives the acreage, condition, yields, and prices of 

 the different crops, and also the number and value of different kinds of 

 live stock on farms. These figures are obtained from a great many farmers 

 all over the country. Also, a shortage of the potato crop in Europe tends 

 to hold the price up in this country by cutting down the importation. 



If we decide in the fall that the price will go up, the next question is. 

 Will the advance be sufficient to pay for holding? The cost of storing 

 is greater than many persons realize. It includes shrinkage of the potatoes, 

 interest on the money that is tied up, cost of the extra work of handling 

 the potatoes, use of the storage cellar or building, and risk of loss by fire. 

 Most of these items do not necessitate a direct cash expenditure and for 

 that reason are often overlooked, but they are, nevertheless, actual cost 

 items. 



Potatoes shrink in two ways: they lose in weight, and some of them rot 

 and must be thrown out. So the place in which they are stored and their 

 condition in the fall have much to do with the amount of shrinkage. The 

 storage place should be cool and moist and the potatoes should be free 



