CHAPTER XIII 

 MARKETS, MARKETING AND STORAGE 



It is of interest to know the quantity of potatoes which 

 are marketed every year in the United States,, in order 

 to appreciate the importance of the marketing problems. 

 Such a figure, of course, can never be very accurately ob- 

 tained, because of the lack of statistics of various sorts 

 necessary in computing it. It is possible, however, to 

 make a calculation which is approximately correct. This 

 figure should be considered only as an approximation. 



The following table of averages may help to give an idea 

 of the number of bushels of potatoes which are marketed 

 every year in this country : 



Table XIV. — Averages for 1904-1913 



Annual production 326,199,200 bu. 



Quantity marketed in the fall — 50 per cent . 163,099,600 bu. 



Quantity stored — 50 per cent 163,099,600 bu. 



8 per cent less on stored potatoes .... 13,047,968 bu. 



Quantity used for starch 5,000,000 bu. 



Seed needed for next year 48,286,000 bu. 



Number of farms raising potatoes 3,008,474 



Potatoes consumed on farms 75,211,850 bu. 



Bushels to be marketed (home grown) . . . 183,653,382 bu. 



Annual imports of potatoes 2,688,148 bu. 



Annual exports of potatoes 1,410,831 bu. 



Excess of imports over exports 1,277,317 bu. 



In figuring the seed needed, 14 bushels of potatoes were 

 allowed to the acre. The number of farms raising pota- 

 237 



