POTATOES: ACREAGE, PRODUCTION, ETC. 9 



they were 8,384,000 bushels. The largest amount of unported pota- 

 toes ever received by this country in one year was in 1911, when the 

 quantity reached 13,729,000 bushels, and that was a year of large 

 deficiency. 



The annual averages presented by periods of years do not reach 

 half a million bushels before the period 1875-1884, when the aver- 

 age yearly imports were 2,158/000 bushels. In the next 10-year 

 period the average was 3,018,000 bushels, followed by 1,401,000 

 bushels in 1895-1904, and by 2,946,000 bushels in 1905-1914. 



In a year of large imports the bulk of them is consigned from the 

 United Kingdom, but in other years, when the import movement is 

 relatively small, the larger fractions of the imports are usually from 

 Canada and Bermuda, with Germany perhaps third in order, and 

 Mexico and the Netherlands following. 



VALUE OF IMPORTS. 



The average annual value of the imported potatoes was SI, 506,000 

 in. the period 1905-1914, and this average was not previously equaled 

 in any 10-year period. Previous to 1875-1884 the average was much 

 below $1,000,000. 



The values of imports are the values of the goods in foreign coun- 

 tries and do not include the costs of transportation from the foreign 

 point of shipment to this country, nor the import duty of this coun- 

 try, if any. 



The computed average import value of imported potatoes per 

 bushel reached as high a figure as 61 cents for 1865-1874, and de- 

 clined to 44.7 cents per bushel for 1885-1894, after which there was 

 an increase to 51.1 cents per bushel in 1905-1914. 



PERCENTAGE OF PRODUCTION. 



The imports of potatoes as a percentage of potato production 

 in this country have never exceeded 1.65 per cent of the crop, as an 

 annual average for any 10-year period, this average being for 1885- 

 1894, The lowest period average, 0.22 per cent, is found for 1866- 

 1874. For the 10 years, 1905-1914, the imports were 0.86 per cent 

 of the production. The percentages for value do not differ mate- 

 rially from those for quantity of potato imports. 



PERCENTAGE OF THE SUPPLY. 



Potato production and supply being so nearly the same, the im- 

 ports of potatoes are related to the supply quite the same as they 

 are to the production. The imports of the 10-year period 1905-1914 

 were 0.85 per cent of the supply. The largest ratio for any period, 

 1.62 per cent, is for 1885-1894, and the smallest ratio, 0.22 per cent, 

 is for 1866-1874. The corresponding percentages for value are not 

 materially different. 



55715°— 18— Bull. 695 2. 



