158 THE POTATO 



was to fool the buyer if he opened the bottom in- 

 stead of the top of the sack. The broker and 

 dealer got around this by slitting the side of sacks 

 for a sample. This led to the stovepipe method 

 of filling. A few good potatoes would be placed in 

 the bottom of a sack, a section of stove pipe in- 

 serted and the culls dropped in this, surrounding 

 the pipe by good potatoes, withdrawing the pipe 

 and filling the top with extras. Every kind of 

 deception in marketing is poor business — and 

 must sooner or later be stopped. 



In some districts growers have formed associ- 

 ations and potatoes are marketed under a brand 

 insuring quality. This will in time cause potatoes 

 carrying this brand to command a premium. 



Every employer of labor in potato work will 

 find it hard to get men to be careful in sorting, 

 no matter how strict the instructions. This was 

 found to be the case at Mt. Sopris Farm, where a 

 select trade has been built up by marketing po- 

 tatoes on the same basis and method as the 

 apple business at Hood River — upon honor. 

 The fact that there has never been a complaint 

 is an indication of how well the plan has succeeded. 

 "Do not put a potato into a sack for market that 

 you would not be proud to serve on your own 

 table " — this is the instruction to the employees 

 in the potato cellar that makes it most easy to 

 accomplish the result. 



A great many growers make a practice of 

 planting their entire acreage to the same class of 

 potatoes and marketing all at one time. For 

 instance, it may be all Earlies, or second Earlies, 

 or Later, and all marketed from the field — or in 

 the case of the late crop, all held for the winter or 

 spring trade. 



