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 during 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 during 
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 unusually 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 cent of the pro- 
duction. Computed upon the total supply of potatoes, the total 
consumption during this period averaged 99.5 per cent. 
HISTORICAL TABLES. 
The four tables that are appended to the text of this bulletin were 
prepared and are published 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. 
