June, 1926] 



CAN WE PRODUCE MORE OF WHAT WE EAT? 



15 



August and September and over 29,000 bushels from October to May. 

 The Lake region, district 3, shipped in 14,000 bushels in August and 

 September and over 24,000 bushels in October to May. Even the 

 Sulhvan area, district 4, which is largely rural, shipped in 17,000 bushels 

 during the competing season. The city of Berlin shipped in about 

 10,000 bushels from October to May. During the same period Man- 

 chester shipped in 60,000 bushels, Nashua 25,000, Concord 15,000, and 

 Dover 10,000 bushels. ... 



That the shipment in of potatoes is not a temporary situation in the 

 year 1925 is shown by the regularity of potato receipts by freight in the 

 larger cities as indicated in Table III, which shows the carlot receipts of 

 potatoes by months for a period of six years on the Manchester market. 



Table III — Receipts of potatoes on Manchester markets, for a period of six years, by carloads 



The foregoing figures do not give an entirely accurate idea of the state 

 situation. New Hampshire as a whole produces a larger amount of po- 

 tatoes than the purchases show, but in the process of marketing, the sur- 

 plus-producing areas such as Colebrook and Haverhill ship direct to" 

 Boston, while other areas especially in southern New Hampshire ship in 

 potatoes from Aroostook county, Maine, and other surplus-producing 

 regions. Producers in each of these areas consider this method of market- 

 ing the most profitable under present conditions. The adjustment of 

 production to consumption within the state is therefore largely a market- 

 ing problem. 



Carlot shipments from Maine to the seven districts for the period Sept. 

 12, 1923 to March 31, 1924 were as follows: 



District 1 19 cars District 5 40 cars 



2 2 " " 6 257 " 



3 ... 29 " " 7 49 " 



4 16 " 



From such estimates of the cost of production as are available, there is 

 good reason to beheve that, even excluding the high price season of 1925- 

 1926, the New Hampshire farmer in deficiency-producing areas on a good 

 farm, fully equipped with machinery and with good methods, should be 

 able to produce potatoes with some margin of profit above cost, including 

 wages at 40 cents per hour. One important factor is the use of labor at 

 seasons when the present organization affords very little profitable use of 

 time. On this account little extra labor need be employed in growing 10 

 acres of potatoes. 



