Specific Marketing Problems — Potatoes 51 



rjtory and should be equally successful in the Salt River Valley, where 

 marketing conditions are not essentially different. 



Potatoes The production of potatoes for market is not an im- 

 portant activity in this district. Most of the crop is produced in the 

 sandy loam soils near the Agua Fria River, west of Glendale. The 

 crop is marketed during the month of June as a rule. In 1917 the 

 commercial movement started during the first week in June and ended 

 about the middle of July. Most of the crop moved during the last 

 two weeks in June. Yields vary with seasonal conditions and in the 

 past have ranged from 30 to 100 bushels per acre. In 191 7 the yield 

 v/as reasonably good and averaged from 80 to 100 bushels per acre. 

 The usual field is about 25 acres in extent, although fields in 191 7 

 ranged from 10 acres to 160 acres each. About 90 per cent of the 

 crop is grown by a dozen growers in the territory mentioned above. 

 The potatoes are loaded in sacks holding from 95 to no pounds each 

 and shipped to market in decked cars. Practically all shipments from 

 this section are decked, except local shipments to mining towns within 

 the State, where the average time in transit is from 24 to 48 hours. 

 Refrigerator cars are used for shipping purposes. In 1916 38 cars of 

 potatoes were shipped from Valley points, while in 1917 the commer- 

 cial movement was 115 cars. 



Marketing conditions in 191 7 were fairly characteristic of average 

 conditions and may well be discussed at some length. The writer 

 secured a complete financial statement covering the commercial hand- 

 ling of 83 cars out of the total of 115 cars shipped in 1917. The first 

 car rolled on June 9. while the last car went forward on July 12. No 

 preliminary arrangements were made by the growers for disposition 

 of their crop and at the last moment the producers, in lieu of a better 

 arrangement, collectively entered into a joint contract with two local 

 commission houses, who agreed to handle the growers' potatoes on 

 joint account. The contract was a very loosely-worded agreement 

 which laid no specific obligations on either party. It was, in fact, a 

 rather indefinite Memorandum of Agreement rather than a bona fide 

 contract. According to its provisions the potatoes were to be handled 

 by the two local firms on a commission basis. It was understood that 

 these firms were to attempt to secure prices for Valley potatoes which 

 would be equivalent to those secured by California growers who were 

 shipping at the same time. The selling agencies were not obligated to 

 secure such returns, however, but merely agreed to use their best 



