The Colorado Potato Industry. 15 
MARKETS 
The position which Colorado occupies in respect to markets 
is one of the most important factors in making the industry pro¬ 
fitable. Her geographical position is such that advantage can be 
taken of a shortage of crop either east or west of the mountains. 
And at the same time she is far enough away from the potato pro- 
• ducing central states to avoid, to a great extent, the glutted mar¬ 
kets that frequently occur when large crops prevail in the Miss¬ 
issippi valley and in the Cake Region. The cities of the east 
slope of the Rockies with Texas and New Mexico ordinarily get 
the large share of the crop but not infrequently the Pacific Coast, 
Central States and even New York and Boston are markets for 
the Greeley product. Practically all Colorado potatoes are put on 
the market in sacks. This system is somewhat more expensive 
than shipping loose in the cars as sacks cost from $6.50 to $8.00 
per hundred. The system of sacking, however, has an advantage 
in that less time is required in handling the crop and the system 
is growing in favor in all the potato growing sections. 
POTATO PESTS 
The insect enemies and diseases of potatoes of Colorado are 
so different from those of the eastern states that the work done 
there on this subject is of little value to the Colorado, potato 
grower. 
Insects. The striped or Colorado potato beetle is a native of 
this state, yet the damage done by this beetle is now ordinarily so 
slight that no attention is given it by the growers. The flea beetle is, 
however, a serious pest.. Comparatively little is known of the life 
history of this insect. There are several species similar in gen¬ 
eral appearance that do more or less damage. The worst one is 
the black flea beetle (Epitrix cucumeris). The last of May or 
the first of June these little flea-like beetles may be seen in quan¬ 
tities feeding on the weeds along the fences and ditch banks. 
They are black or dark brown, shiny and about one-tenth of an 
inch long. When disturbed, the insect jumps and disappears, a 
trick that gives it the name of “flea beetle.” How they pass the 
winter is not known. Their presence is most noticeable by the 
appearance of the foliage that has been eaten, as the numerous 
little holes or light spots on the leaves of potatoes as well as to¬ 
matoes and the cucurbits are due to them. These perforations 
in the foliage injure the plant by rducing the leaf surface and 
also by giving entrance into the leaf of various plant diseases. 
Just how much the yield of tubers is cut down by this injury to 
the foliage is difficult to estimate. Later in the season the insect 
deposits eggs on the underground stems of the plants. The lar- 
