46 The Colorado Experiment Station. 
sent free to all who ask it, and arrives about the 20th of each month 
with estimates made on the 1st. Sometimes in error on single 
states, the “Reporter” is said to have been wrong in its general con¬ 
clusions for the country only once in fifteen years. 
Importation. —Potatoes pay a protective tariff of twenty-five 
cents per bushel. In 1909, 8,000,000 bushels were imported into 
the U. S., and when domestic prices reach a high level, the crop in 
Europe must be considered. Otherwise Colorado growers should 
consider the general crop of the country paying no attention what¬ 
ever to the crop prospects in our own state, and but little to the crop 
in our group of states. Until the Panama canal is finished, Colorado 
growers must look out for an excess on the Pacific coast, as it must 
compete direct with us now for outlet. 
Good Marketing and the Community. —Public welfare is served 
by steady movement of produce to the consumer. Dealers, trans¬ 
portation companies, consumers and 'producers, as a body, are bene¬ 
fited by regular shipment. Good facilities for shipment over our 
mountains, and accurate crop information, that the price may at all 
seasons reflect the supply and demand, are therefore matters of pub¬ 
lic concern. 
STORAGE IN ITS RELATION TO MARKETING. 
No Fixed Rule can be laid down for the selling of potatoes. 
Constant study is essential to success. The prices and the best 
markets vary from year to year, according to the relation of supply 
and demand in different places. While the demand for potatoes is 
a constant one in every city, town and hamlet in the United States, 
the supply varies, and some regions are supplied locally one year 
and the next year have to ship in potatoes; while the cities and the 
south are supplied with potatoes that are grown many miles distant 
during at least a part of every year. 
The Northern States produce most of the potatoes and have on 
hand at digging time ordinarily a sufficient quantity to supply, not 
only the local demand, but the large markets of the country until the 
early potatoes from the south take their place in the spring. 
Commercial Methods. —If the growers were to place the whole 
product on the market at digging time it would necessitate the 
storing of from fifty to seventy-five per cent of the crop each year 
in the local warehouses in the growing districts. As direct ship¬ 
ment to consuming centers is essential to economy, storage at job¬ 
bing points is out of the question, while storage at southern con¬ 
suming points is too warm or too expensive. 
Storing a Large Part of the crop in the districts where the 
potatoes at*e grown and shipping as demanded for consumption is 
better from every economic standpoint; and the temperature in 
potato growing states favors the plan of storage on the home farm 
