56 



POTATO DEVELOPMENT WORK IN WISCONSIN. 



HIGHER STANDARDS IN RELATION TO THE 

 WISCONSIN POTATO INDUSTRY. 



H. C. CHEYNEY 



Assistant General Freight Agent Chicago & Northwestern 



Railroad. 



The potato, now a staple food for man, was cultivatd before 

 the discovery of America, but it was not until the 18th century 

 that it commenced to grow in popularity as a food product, but 



the potato now is coming to 

 its own, brought about by an 

 exacting public who demand 

 quality and the time is oppor- 

 tune for the Wisconsin pota- 

 to. 



In my boyhood days the po- 

 tato was used largely as a 

 filler, considered a necessity, 

 never a delicacy, but today 

 when the special baked in any 

 hotel or cafe, costs about the 

 same as the baked apple, in- 

 cluding sugar and cream, 

 quality is not only demanded 

 but must be provided. 



This reminds me of a con- 

 versation I overheard in a 

 dining car up State a few 

 H. c. CHEYNEY. days ago. A gentleman, evi- 



Chicago, 111. dently a grower ordered a 



special baked potato. When 



he received his check he remarked to the waiter, "It was fine, 

 George, but it costs too much. I can only get 45 cents a bushel 

 for mine and they are just as good." This remark is only one 

 of many that we hear about how really well adapted to raising 



