2 The Potato 



The average annual production of potatoes in the world 

 for the last ten years has been over 5,000,000,000 bushels. 

 The production of wheat, corn and oats has been approxi- 

 mately 4,000,000,000 bushels each. Potatoes, therefore, 

 lead the other crops in total production. 



This immense total world production is generally and 

 widely distributed. The six leading countries and their 

 average annual production for the years 1911-1913, and 

 the average yields an acre for the years 1904-1913, are 

 as follows (see Fig. 1) : 



Table II 



Germany . . 



European Russia 



Austria-Hungary 



France 



United States . 



United Kingdom 



Total Production 

 IN Bushels 



1,698,826,000 

 1,258,120,333 

 642,149,000 

 499,523,666 

 348,303,000 

 259,482,666 



Average Yield an 

 Acre in Bushels 



200.7 

 106.4 

 134.35 

 130.2 

 96.5 

 210.0 



About 90 per cent of the world's crop is grown in 

 Europe, Germany and Russia producing more than half of 

 the total crop. The United States produces only about 

 one-fifth as much as Germany. This is largely due to 

 the fact that the German consumption per capita is about 

 two and one-half times as great as ours, and that more 

 than 50 per cent of the German crop is used either for 

 stock food or for conversion into starch, alcohol or other 

 industrial by-products. Potatoes, at present, are used 

 very little for these purposes in this country, less than 1 

 per cent being so employed. 



