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



those for production. As a percentage of consumption, the exports 

 of domestic potatoes during this period averaged 0.5 per cent. 



During this 10-year period the imports of potatoes exceeded the 

 exports of domestic potatoes on the average by 1,339,000 bushels, 

 valued at $208,000, but this preponderance of imports is due to the 

 exceptionally large imports in 1908 and 1911, which were years of 

 very deficient production. The more general fact during the last 20 

 years is one of surplus of exports of potatoes rather than of imports. 

 The surplus imports of this period are 0.015 of 1 bushel per capita, 

 0.4 per cent of the quantity of the production, and 0.1 per cent of 

 the value of the production. Related to the consumption of potatoes, 

 the surplus imports of this period were 0.4 per cent. 



Potato consumption durmg the period under review has amounted 

 to 344,733,000 bushels yearly on the average, of which the potatoes 

 of domestic production amounted to 341,786,000 bushels, and foreign 

 potatoes to 2,946,000 bushels. The foreign average is largely deter- 

 mined by the comparatively high imports of 1908 and 1911, whereas 

 the more common fact during the last 20 years is that the foreign 

 potatoes consumed in this country yearly are less than 1,000,000 

 bushels, -Of the entire consumption of potatoes during this period 

 the foreign potatoes were 0.9 per cent and the domestic potatoes 

 were 99.1 per cent. 



The per capita consumption of potatoes for all purposes duriag 

 this period was 3.77 bushels, of which the domestic potatoes were 

 3.74 bushels and the foreign potatoes 0.032 of 1 bushel. As pre- 

 viously explained, the total per capita consumption of potatoes 

 should be reduced by about one-tenth on account of seed and the 

 manufacture of starch, leaving a per capita consumption of 3.39 

 bushels yearly during this period for human food, animal feed, and 

 waste. 



During this period the consumption of domestic and foreign pota- 

 toes was on the average 100.4 per cent of the production, but, as 

 before stated, this result is due to the imusuahy large imports of 

 1908 and 1911, the more general fact in recent years being that con- 

 sumption is slightly less than production. The consumption of 

 domestic potatoes during this period was 99.5 per oent of the pro- 

 duction. Computed upon the total supply of potatoes, the total 

 consumption diu-ing this period averaged 99.5 per cent. 



mSTORICAL TABLES. 



The four tables that are appended to the text of this buUetm were 

 prepared and are pubUshed especially for their historical value. 

 They constitute a statistical record concerning this principal vege- 

 table crop which in its entirety and in many details has not hereto- 

 fore been published, and afford a basis upon which to build similar 

 information year by year. 



