POTATOES: ACREAGE, PRODUCTION, ETC. 7 
‘ 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 mune 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 in 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 little 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 
