Thursday, March 20, 1919
THE ALLIANCE (NEBRASKA) HERALD
GOVERNMENT EXPERT
REPORT ON POTATOES
Paul M. William. Altant In Mnr
keting. Make l-Memled He
.port on Till District
TaUl M. WM'anis of the Bureau
of Markets, U. S. Department of
Agriculture, ban made for general
publication the following report on
the western Nebraska potato situa
tion for the period of September lfi
to November 30:
The hglh prices paid for labor and
low market prices have assisted in
making this season generally un
profitable to western Nebraska po
tato growers. Probably the best
satisfied growers are those who sold
during the early part of the digging
season, September 21 to October 21,
when labor was more plentiful and
prices were oetter. Many of these
growers hauled direct to the cars
and thus saved much expense in
handling. Others accompanied their
cars to market, these growers usual
ly being well satisfied with their re
turns. Probably one of the chief reasons
for the low prices received was the
poor grading. The great majority
of growers apparently prefer to sell
their potatoes field run. When their
ungraded stock comeo into competi
tion with the well graded Backed
stock of other sections, Nebraska
growers do not receive a top price.
However, there is little incentive for
growers who sell in wagonload lots
at the car door to grade their offer
ings as there is very little in the way
of a price differential between un
graded and graded Block. Buyers
offer little or no premium for good
sound smoot' stock over that paid
for scabby rough stock. This prac
tice does not encourage the potato
grower to grade his stock, nel'ner
doe it tend to raise the tone of the
potato industry in western Nebraska.
The exceptionally rough handling
the potatoes received on the farm is
another potent factor for the poor
condition in which Nebraska pota
toes reach their destination. Dur
ing the early part of the digging sea
son many potatoes were allowed to
lie in the sun for several hours be
fore being gothered. Later in the
season, po'atoes which had been dug
were allowed to He on the ground
over night, and frequently frost
showed up In this stock. It cannot
be expected that potatoes accorded
such treatment will be stored by
large dealers o any considerable ex
tent, or that they will bring the top
market prices.
The crop was picked in wire bas
kets and dumped into high boxed
wagons. From the wagon the pota
toes were scooped into the pit. They
are forked out of the pit at selling
time into the wagons, forked again
out of the wgon into the car and then
scooped bck into the ends of the car.
Much of the stock is bruised or cut
In this way' and dry rot and other
- conditions set in which materially
lessen their value on the markets.
During -.the heaviest part of the
movement It developed that Omaha
dealers were adverse to handling po
tatoes from this ection, probably
for no other reason than they were
Improperly handled and poorly grad
ed. It cannot be expected that the
dealers will buy this s'ock to any
large extent until the crop is han
dled with the respect due a perisha
ble product and graded according to
the specifications of the Bureau of
Markets.
The soil and climatic conditions
are favorable to the ex'ensive rais
ing of potatoes, not only for table
stock but for seed stock. The stock
which is raised in the dry lands sec
tion, particularly, should find ready
sale In the southern markets for
seed. Considerable of this Btock is
now sold in the south as the chart of
shipments shows, but with proper
seed treatment, handling and grad
ing this should become a truly great
industry in western Nebraska. It
would seem that the logical market
for the table stock is In eastern Ne
braska, Kansas and Missouri, due
largely to favorable freight rates.
Nebraska's chief competitors are
Minnesota and Colorado. It is in
teresting to note that much of the
Bliss Triumph seed stock is sold in
Oklahoma and Texas, a few scatter
ing cars also going to Louisiana and
Tennessee. It was particularly in
teresting to note that a few cars of
Bliss Triumph dry lnad stock were
sold in the Monte Vista section of
Colorado, while several cars of the
Early Ohio seed stock were sold in
the Greeley, Colo., district. This
nilg' t be considered indicative of the
possibilites of the dry land secton of
Nebraska as an important seed pota
to producing section in the. future.
In the extreme western portion of
the state, in what might be termed
the Morrill-Scottsbluff section, white
varieties are raised principally. This
section is largely irrigated, corre
sponding somewhat with the Greeley,
Colo., section. This Block is more
carefully graded and much of it is
sacked and usually finds sale in sucn
markets as Kansas City and Omaha
Western Nebraska lrlces
In the Alliance-Hemingtord sec
tion, the dealers were paying $1.60-
S1.65 for Early Ohios in carlots on
September 21, before which date
there was very little loading. The
nrice declined two days later to $ 1. jO
holding steady at that figure until
fieuteniber 28 to October 4, when a
slightly stronger price prevailed, the
growers receiving $ 1.60-1.70 for wa-
ganloads trackside. on uctooer s
the price had declined to $1.50, hold
ing steady at that figure until Oc
tober 13, when the prevailing price
was $1.40-1.50. The price suffered
a steady decline from that date ui -
til October 22. when t e. wagonioau
track side price was $1 per cwt. ThU
nrlce held about steady until Noveni
ber 12, when growers were paid 80c-
S6c per cwt. . Buss Trlumpns am not
nnnaence to move in sufficient quan
tlty to quote until about October 8
the waKonload track-side price open
Ine at 11.60-1.70 per cwt. The price
' of Triumphs suffered a general sym
'pathetic decline with Early Vhlos
until October 22, when the price set
tled to $1. This price held about
steady for both varieties at Hemlng
ford until November 9, while at Al
liance the price ranged from 80c to
II from November 2 to 9. The price
at both Alliance and Hemlngford on
November 11 and 12 was 80-85c per
cwt. for both varieties. After this
date, frosted stock commenced to
show up to a considerable extent,
which led to a further decline and
also a wide range In prices, ranging
from 40c to 70c per cwt. In wagon-
loads.
Price In Important Terminal
Market
The first car of Nebraska ungrad
ed Early Ohlos reported sold on the
Kansas City market brought f"2.25
per cwt. on September 20. On Oc
tober 4 and 5 Early Ohios had de
clined to $1.75-1.85 in bulk for
choice stock. On October 17 a car
of Nebraska bulk Early Ohios sold at
$1.90, while on October 26 graded
Ohios reached $2 per cwt. On Oc
tober 30 partly graded Ohios sold at
$1.60, while on the 12th of Novem
ber car of No. 1 sacked Early Ohios
brought $1.95. From the 15th of
November to the end of the month,
bulk Early Ohios,' ungraded, ranged
from $1.20-1.35 per cwt. Ordinar
ily It would seem that the shipping
point price fluctuates with the Kan
sas City market.
Omaha retailers were paying $2.75
to $3 per cwt. for sacked partly
graded Early Ohlos on September 16.
this price holding steady untjl Sep
tember 21. From September 23 to
October 2 No. 1 this variety Bold in
jobbing lots from $2.50-2.75. Dur
ing the bulance of the month of Oc
tober the Jobbing price remained
above $2 per cwt, but sold as high as
IZ.50 per cwt.' for No. 1 sacked
stock. About November 4 the price
declined for No. 2 stock to $1.40 to
$1.60. No. 2's sold in less 'than
carload lots on November 6 at $1.65-
11.75. while on the 25th of the
month No. 1 Early Ohlos Jobbed at
$1.90-$2.
Only the general price trend is In
dicated In the above review. As
will be noted below, Nebraska pota
toes were distributed in the period
under consideration to 274 cities and
owns. In a very large measure.
the small city played a very import
ant part in consuming the Nebraska
crop. It is to be regreitel that fig
ures are not available reRd"!liu' the
prices at which rxtatoes noil in all
the owns using Nebrask.i hUx:".
The following list shows the total
carlot shipments of potatoes from
the western Nebraska Bection, as re
ported by the division superintend
ents from the Burlington Alliance,
the Burlington Sterling and the
Cheyenne Division of the Union Pa
cific. This also Includes shipments
from the Black Hills Division of the
C. & N. W. shipped after November
Nebraska 679
Missouri 262
Kansas 104
Iowa 44
Colorado 27
Texas 18
Illinois 18
Oklahoma ,. 12 f
Arkansas 4
Tennessee 3
Louisiana 3
Wyoming 1
Total cars .1.175
Cars shipped previous to opening
of field deal 72
Cars destinations unknown ... 14
Cars shipped this season from
Black Hills division of C. & N.
W. to 11-1-18 821
Total number cars out western
Nebraska to 11-30 2,082
Total number cars shipped last
season (entire season) ..1,993
For the purpose of giving some
what more detailed information as to
the quality and condition of the
stock from the entire western Ne
braska section, the following sum
mary shows the classification given
the potatoes by the f. o. b. inspec
tors. It will be well to bear In
mind, however, that (i) the inspec
tion service was not Inaugurated un
til October 1; (2) growers shipping
their own stock, i. e., potatoes of
their own raising, were not required
to have their potatoes Inspected.
Of the 2,082 cars which had been
shipped up to November 30, 1918,
377 cars were graded U. S. grade No.
1, or 18.1 per cent: 875 cars were
graded U. S. grade No. 2, or 42 per
cent: 166 cars were graded "under
graded", or 8 per cent: 664 cars
were unclassified, or 3 1.9 per cent.
In Conclusion
A careful study of the Nebraska
potato section will convince (1) that
a more careful selection of seed and
proper seed treatment will help Ne
braska growers raise better potatoes,
(2) that In order to reduce the waste
and preserve the life of the potato in
storage, Nebraska potatoes must be
handled with the care due a perish
able product, (3) that no one thing
will tend more to put Nebraska pota
toes on a par with potatoes from oth
er sections V an careful grading us
outlined by the Bureau of Markets,
and (4) that an improvement In the
methods of marketing is needed.
A daily Market News Report on
potatoes was Issued from the Alli
ance office of the Bureau of Markets
from September 16 to November 30.
Similar reports on various commodi
ties are Issued the entire year by the
Bure;hi of Markets. 4 37 Keelino
building, Omaha, Nebraska. These
reports contain accurate shipment
and market information of value to
the growers and shippers and can be
obtained dally, without chrage, upon
request.
They convey Information which
can be of much use to the growers
and shippers in marketing their po
tatoes. A few moments spent each
day digesting the contents of the
Daily Market News Report will keep
them fully In touch with the differ
ent phases in t e marketing situa
tion. PAUL M. WILLIAMS, .
Assistant in Marketing
Fruits and Vegetables.
$20oo"c1Fsays
wiley vesperman
Spent Small Fortune on Treatments
IJefore Finding Itellef by
Taking Tan lac
"I spent at lleast two thousand
dollars on medicines and treatments
before I finally got relief by taking
Tanlac." said Wiley eVsperman, of
4418 Bowser avenue, Dallas, Tex.
'"I suffered with rheumatism in my
left arm and shoulder for seven
years," he continued "and at times
I was so badly crippled up that I
would Just have to give up and go to
bed. I also suffered terribly with
indigestion,' and what little I ate
formed so much gas that I would
belch up my sour, undigested food
and would become faint from dizzi
ness. I could hardly sleep at night
for the misery I was in, and in the
morning I would get up feeling so
awful that I could hardly get around.
"But Tanlac has driven away ev
ery bit of the pain and misery; 4
never suffer from indigestion and
can eat anything I want. My condi
tion has improved so wonderfully
since I started on Tanlac that I am
able now to give all my time to my
business, Just like I did before that
awful rheumatism got its hold on
me. My wife is taking Tanlac, too,
and she is Just as enthusiastic about
it as I am."
Tanlac is sold In Alliance by F. E.
Holsten, In Hemlngford by Hemlng
ford Merc. Co., and In Hoffland by
Mallery Grocery Co.
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