10 BULLETIN 695, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



SUPPLY. 



QUANTITY OF POTATOES. 



As a total of potato production and imports, the supply of po- 

 tatoes in this country increased, with various recessions, from 111,- 

 100,000 bushels in 1859 to 208,590,000 bushels in 1883, to 352,- 

 449,000 bushels in 1904, and to 420,982,000 bushels m 1912, the 

 largest supply of potatoes ever in the possession of this country, 

 except in 1917. The supply of 1913 was 335,171,000 bushels; of 

 1914, 410,191,000 bushels; and of 1915, 359,930,000 bushels. 



As indicated by 10-year averages, the supply of potatoes has 

 steadily increased until the average annual supply of the 10-year 

 period 1905-1914, 346,340,000 bushels, was reached. This is a large 

 increase over the average of the preceding 10 years, 262,625,000 

 bushels. The average for the 9 years, 1866-1874, was 113,055,000 

 bushels. ^ 



PER CAPITA. 



The per capita supply of potatoes in this country was 2.92 bushels 

 for 1849. For the 9 years, 1866-1874, the annual average was 2.89 

 bushels; during the next period, 1875-1884, the average was 3.27 

 bushels; itnd during the next two 10-year periods it was 2.99 and 3.47 

 bushels. The largest average for a period is 3.79 bushels per capita 

 for 1905-1914. 



VALUE OF THE SUPPLY. 



The value of the potato supply in this country is first known for 

 the year begumiag in the year 1866, for which it was $50,810,000. 

 By 1890 the value had risen to $116,089,000, and by 1908 it had 

 risen to $214,295,000. The largest value is for 1916. For 1914 it 

 was $199,734,000, for 1915, $222,324,000, and for 1916, $424,035,000. 



DOMESTIC EXPORTS. 



QUANTITY. 



The exports of domestic potatoes are not subject to the wide range 

 found in the case of imports. These exports did not reach 1,000,000 

 bushels until 1904, nor 2,000,000 bushels until 1910. By reason of 

 the Eiu-opean war, the exports of domestic potatoes amounted to 

 3,135,000 bushels in the fiscal year beginning in 1914, to 4,018,000 

 bushels in 1915, and 2,489,000 bushels in 1916. 



Previous to the war, in recent years more than one-half of the 

 exports of domestic potatoes have been shipped to Cuba, about one- 

 seventh to one-fifth to Canada, about one-tenth to Panama, and 6 

 to 8 per cent to Mexico. 



