BULLETIN 4" 
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
enough potatoes to supply the domestic consumption, and in such 
years large quantities of potatoes have been imported from foreign 
countries. 
INDUSTRIAL USES FOR GERMAN POTATOES. 
Such an immense production of potatoes as we find in Germany is 
manifestly not required to feed the people. As a matter of fact, 
only 28 per cent of the crop is used for human food, while 40 per 
cent is fed direct to farm animals and 12 per cent is set aside for seed 
purposes. The Germans plant over twice as many seed potatoes per 
acre as is the custom here, or more than 24 bushels. An additional 
portion of the surplus, in round numbers 100.000.000 bushels, a little 
less than 6 per cent of the total crop, is made into alcohol and used 
for industrial purposes and to replace petroleum products. Over 
50,000,000 bushels, or about 4 per cent, are made each year into starch, 
dextrose, and related products. This accounts for all except 10 per 
cent of the German crop, which it is estimated is lost through decay. 
It is difficult to secure American figures on which to base a com- 
parison with the statistics quoted. It is probable that we plant on 
the average 11 bushels per acre for seed, or about 11 per cent of our 
total crop. Although exact data on disease injuries are very scarce, a 
recent survey indicates that as much as 15 per cent may be lost from 
decay, without taking into consideration the reduction of the crop 
from foliage diseases, which is even greater. Probably not more than 
3.000.000 bushels are used annually for starch purposes, or less than 
1 per cent, while the practice of feeding to stock is very limited, 
indeed, possibly 5 per cent being used in this way. No potatoes are 
made into alcohol and none are dried. It is evident, therefore, that 
approximately 68 per cent or more of our potatoes are used for table 
purposes. 
Table I. — Acreage, production, value, prices, exports, and imports of potatoes in 
the United States, 1900 to 1912. inclusive. 
Year. 
Acreage 
planted and 
harvested. 
Average 
yield per 
acre. 
j Average 
farm 
Production, i price per 
bushel 
1 Dec. 1. 
Farm value 
Dec. 1 . 
Domestic 
exports for 
fiscal year 
beginning 
Julv 1. 
Imports 
during 
fiscal year 
beginning 
July 1. 
1900 
1 Bushel*. 
2.611,000 ' 80.8 
2,864,000 ; 65.5 
2,966,000! 96. 
2,917,000 84.7 
3,016,000 j 110.4 
2,997.000 87. 
3,013,000 ! 102.2 
3,128,000; 95.4 
3,257,000 85.7 
3,525,000 106.8 
3,720,000 i 93.8 
3,619,000 ! 80.9 
3,711,000 
Bushels. 
210,927,000 
187, 598, 000 
284,633.000 
247, 128, 000 
332, 830, 000 
260,741,000 
308,038,000 
298, 262, 000 
278,985,000 
376,537,000 
349,032,000 
292,737,000 
420,647,000 
Cent?. 
43.1 
76.7 
47.1 
61.4 
45.3 
61.7 
51.1 
61.8 
70.6 
54.9 
55. 7 
79.9 
50.5 
Bushels. 
190,811,000 i 741,483 
143,979,000 528; 484 
134,111,000 8-8.075 
Bushels. 
371,911 
1901 
7, too, 162 
1902 
358, 505 
1903 
151,638,000 
150,673,000 
160,821,000 
157,547,000 
1S4,184,000 
197,039,000 
206, .545, 000 
194,566,000 
233,778,000 
212.550,000 
484,042 
1,163,270 
1,000,326 
1,530,461 
1,203,894 
763, 651 
999,476 
2,3S3.887 
1.237,276 
3.166,581 
1904 
181,199 
1905 
1,984,160 
1906 
176.917 
1907 
403,952 
1908 
8,383,965 
1909 
353, 208 
1910 
216,984 
1911 
13.734,695 
1912 
