potatoes: acreage, peoduction, etc. 



PER CAPITA. 



For the crop year beginning in 1849 the per capita production of 

 potatoes was 2.9 bushels, for 1859 it was 3.6 bushels, for the 10-year 

 period 1885-1894 the yearly average was 2.9 bushels, or lower than 

 that of any other period. The average was 3.45 bushels in the 

 following 10-year period, and increased in the next 10-year period, 

 1905-1914, to 3.8 bushels per capita. 



While total potato production per capita has increased since 

 the 10-year period 1885-1894, the production per acre compared 

 with population has slightly declined during the same time. Per 

 1,000,000 of population the production of potatoes per acre was 1.07 

 bushels in 1905-1914, and 1.15 bushels m 1895-1904 and 1885- 

 1894. In former years the yield of potatoes per acre per 1,000,000 

 of the population was much higher and amounted to 1.72 bushels 

 in 1875-1884, and 2.34 bushels in 1866-1874. Increase of produc- 

 tivity per capita per acre did not keep pace with increase of popu- 

 lation from 1866-1874 to 1905-1914. The gain of production per 

 capita in recent years has been more because of increased total 

 acreage than because of increased production per acre. 



VALUE OF CROP. 



PRICE PER BUSHEL. 



The record of the average price per bushel received by farmers for 

 potatoes extends back to 1866, when the estimate for the United 

 States was first made by this bureau. Great variations are found in 

 the average annual prices since that time, and by far the highest 

 price was reached for the crop of 1916, $1.46 per bushel. A price as 

 high as 97 cents per bushel was reached for the crop of 1917, 91 

 cents for 1881, 80 cents for 1911, and 76 cents for 1901. On the 

 contrary, prices have gone as low as 26 cents per bushel for 1895, 

 29 cents for 1896, 34 cents for 1875, and 35 cents for 1889. 



Among the 10-year periods the highest average price per bushel of 

 potatoes at the farm is for the period 1905-1914, when it was 59.1 

 cents per bushel. Proceeding backward in time, the price was lower 

 in each preceding 10-year period until the price of 49.6 cents per 

 bushel is found in 1875-1884, During the 9 years preceding that 

 period the average was 56.6 cents per bushel, or a httle under the 

 average of the latest 10-year period. 



TOTAL VALUE OF CROP. 



The first estimate of the value of the farmers' potato crop was 

 $50,723,000 for 1866. The total steadily increased to $99,291,000 

 for 1881, followed by a period of depression in total value with 

 sudden recovery to $113,291,000 for 1890, the highest amount to that 

 year. The next year to register high-water mark was 1901, the total 



