2 BULLETIN 47, T7. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



enough potatoes to supply the domestic consumption, and in such 

 years large quantities of potatoes have been imported from foreign 

 countries. 



INDUSTRIAL USES FOR GERMAN POTATOES. 



Such an immense production of potatoes as we find in Germany is 

 manifestly not required to feed the people, As a matter of fact, 

 only 28 per cent of the crop is used for human food, while 40 per 

 cent is fed direct to farm animals and 12 per cent is set aside for seed 

 purposes. The Germans plant over twice as many seed potatoes per 

 acre as is the custom here, or more than 24 bushels. An additional 

 portion of the surplus, in round numbers 100,000,000 bushels, a little 

 less than 6 per cent of the total crop, is made into alcohol and used 

 for industrial purposes and to replace petroleum products. Over 

 50,000.000 bushels, or about 4 per cent, are made each year into starch, 

 dextrose, and related products. This accounts for all except 10 per 

 cent of the German crop, which it is estimated is lost through decay. 



It is difficult to secure American figures on which to base a com- 

 parison with the statistics quoted. It is probable that we plant on 

 the average 11 bushels per acre for seed, or about 11 per cent of our 

 total crop. Although exact data on disease injuries are very scarce, a 

 recent survey indicates that as much as 15 per cent may be lost from 

 decay, without taking into consideration the reduction of the crop 

 from foliage diseases, which is even greater. Probably not more than 

 3.000,000 bushels are used annually for starch purposes, or less than 

 1 per cent, while the practice of feeding to stock is very limited, 

 indeed, possibly 5 per cent being used in this way. No potatoes are 

 made into alcohol and none are dried. It is evident, therefore, that 

 approximately 68 per cent or more of our potatoes are used for table 

 purposes. 



Table I. — Acreage, production, value, prices, exports, and imports of potatoes in 

 the United, States, 1900 to 1912, inclusive. 



Year. 



Acreage 

 planted and 

 harvested. 



Average 



yield per 



acre. 



Production. 



Average 

 farm 



price per 

 bushel 

 Dec. 1. 



Farm value 

 Dec. 1 . 



Domestic 

 exports for 

 fiscal year 

 beginning 

 July 1. 



Imports 



during 



fiscal year 



beginning 



Julyl. 



1900 



2,611,000 

 2, 864, 000 

 2*966,000 

 2,917,000 

 3,016,000 

 2, 997, 000 

 3,013,000 

 3,128,000 

 3,257,000 

 3,525,000 

 3,720,000 

 3,619,000 

 3,711,000 



Bushels. 

 80.8 

 65.5 

 96. 

 84.7 



110.4 

 87. 



102.2 

 95.4 

 85.7 



106. 8 

 93.8 

 80.9 



113.3 



Bushels. 

 210,927,000 

 187,598,000 

 284,633,000 

 247,128,000 

 332, 830, 000 

 260,741,000 

 308,038,000 

 298, 262, 000 

 278,985,000 

 376,537,000 

 349,032,000 

 292,737,000 

 420, 647, 000 



Cents. 

 43.1 

 76.7 

 47.1 

 61.4 

 45. 3 

 61.7 

 51.1 

 61.8 

 70.6 

 54.9 

 55.7 

 79.9 

 50.5 



$90,811,000 

 143, 979, 000 

 134,111,000 

 151,638,000 

 150,673,000 

 1 60, 821 , 000 

 157,547,000 

 184,184,000 

 197,039,000 

 206,545,000 

 194,566,000 

 233,778,000 

 212,550,000 



Bushels. 



741,483 



528, 484 



843,075 



484, 042 



1,163,270 



1,000,326 



1,530,461 



1,203,894 



763,651 



999,476 



2,383,887 



1,237,276 



Bushels. 

 371,911 



1901 



7,656,162 



1902 



358,505 



1903 . 



3,166,581 



1904 



181,199 



1905 



1,984.160 



1900 



176,917 



1907 



403,952 



1908 



8,383,960 



1909 . 



353, 208 



1910 



216,984 



1911 



13,734,695 



1912 











