tt™- ftfffP U . B . C . L i b r a r y CAT HO. i-E^ ¿>7- fiit fhh ACC NO 75rice,so each producer exports in proportion to the amount he produces over and above his allotment for domestic purposes. This does not encourage overproduction as it is sold at a lower price. The amount of duty is counted as part of the returns of the domestic price. The Export Debenture plan,which was worked out in the United States developed from an idea that they borrowed from Germany. With this plan,the idea was to issue debentures,which would be about equal to the tariff per bushel,and give them on all grain exported. These debentures could be used to pay imp-ort duties,and would be bought up by importers at slightly less than their face value. This plan would encourage exports,but would be a severe drain on the treasury ,and it would most likely be taken exception to by importing countries,and they would in all probability put on a tariff to keep out any grain that was literally being dumped on their markets,with a bonus on it. Germany and France have already put on such high tariffs 4 3 tariffs that it is impossible to export to these countries. This would be a sure way of raising the price,as the domestic price would rise to world price plus the tariff,and give the greatest return to the producer,but it would be an added ex-pense to the consumer,as he would pay directly the increased price on the domestic grain,and indirectly the dehenture bonus on the exported grain. wheat In the united states the pegging of/prices has also been attempted. The wheat board is in a position to buy up grain if the price goes down and sell if it rises. On account of the general fall in world prices the board stands to lose a lot of money,as much grain was bought considerably above a dollar per bushel and will likely be sold for much less. This is a price raising measure,but the increased price is coming out of the treasury. A much better plan,I beleive,would be to establish a price within the country,it should be a set price with all im-ports of the commodity barred. A price that would rise and fall with the world price,plus the duty or almost the amount of the so duty would not be/successful. A set price would be more satis-factory, they could make an initial payment of 70% and use the balance to even up the export sales,by pooling both domestic and export sales,thus paying a pool price for all grain of each grade at destination,( Fort William or Vancouver). This would work out in a similar way to the domestic allotment plan,but would not be so cumbersome. It would have to be a compulsory measure,and might have many objectors on this account. A set price could be established for say ten years,and if at any 44 any tinre the export price exceeded the set price for home con-sumption, the Canadian consumer would get the benefit of the difference as the price of bread would remain stationary. developed The situation on the Canadian prairies has/into a general demand for 100$ compulsory pools to handle the wheat situation. This is in reality the outgrowth of the success of the wheat board which operated to handle the wheat crop in 1923-24. The wheat pools were quite successful from their inception up to the big crop of 1928,when a large surplus piled up that has not been disposed of yet. With the decreased purchasing power of some importing countries,and prohibitive tariffs of others,as from Russia well as new supplies/being dumped on the market»making the pre-sent low price the lowest on record for Canadian wheat. In this we see massed competition,which is not much better than indiv-idual competition. Coming to British Columbia we find that there has been many attempts at co-operative marketing with varying degrees of success. But the old story of holding up the umbrella is in evidence here as elsewhere,with considerable dissatisfaction among the members of co-operatives who have to take a little less than independents,and considerably less than they would,if there was 100$ control of the product so as to eliminate com-petition. 100$ control would give the producer a chance to get the henefit of the tariff which is supposed to be for his good. Competition however brings the domestic price down to the world price,if the surplus is uncontrolled. In order to assist the fruit and potato growers of B.C. 45 British Columbia an act was passed in 1927 known as the Prod-uce Marketing Act. This act has been administered by a Commit-tee of Direction which has had some effect in stabilizing pric-es. An attempt was made to supply the various markets with what fruit they could consume. The system gradually lost ground as more independents entered the field. A spirit of resentment developed against the Committee, and the act was violated re-peatedly until it became impossible to enforce it. On top of this an appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada,against a convic-tion in a lower Court and appeal to the Supreme Court of B.C., was made. Judgment handed down on February loth I931 stated that parts of the act were ultra vires of the power of the Government of B.C. So the act will not be enforced unless an appeal is carried to the Privy Council and the conviction is sustained there. The potato growers were in a similar situation to the fruit growers. They had the assistance of the Committee of Direction which tried to,stabilize the market but as the act was a measure without any teeth it was hard to enforce it. It might have worked if the Committee had had the actual selling of the produce,but when they did not there was no control and many evaded or broke the law.As they did not do the actual sell ing it was found difficult to collect the assessment on each box of apples,or bag of potatoes. The collection of these ass-essments caused a great deal of trouble with many court cases which finally led to the act being declared ultra vires as mentioned above. With this decision it becomes in-operative 46 in-operative and we find that the Committee of Direction ceas-ed to function as such on March 7th 1931. A season of destruct-ive competition appears to be the only solution or way to bring the growers together. They will then see the necessity of de-manding a Dominion compulsory act to control the sale of all produce. This is a possibility in the near future as the prair-ie provinces are asking for 100$ controlled selling agencies to handle the wheat crop,but may not be able to secure this cont-rol through provincial legislation in view of the decision,re the Produce Marketing Act of B.C. When it became apparent that the Produce Marketing Act of B.C. was not fulfilling the purpose for which it was created it became evident that some other system should be adopted,and a plan for a 100$ compulsory pool has been developed. This would assure each grower of getting his share of the home or domestic market,with the increased price that the tariff will give him,also have him assume his fair share of the export or lower priced world market. There are many supporters of this pl-an,and many who oppose it. A bill is being presented in the British Columbia legislature at this session asking for a 100$ compulsory pool,which if passed will go into effect .after a vote is taken,if 60$ of the growers are in favor of it. It seems a rather drastic measure,but it appears to be the only way to solve the problem,so that each grower will get his share of the home market,and the increase in revenue from his crop that the tariff would give,and at the same time make him share in the export,or in other words make him responsible for his 47 his share of the surplus which he grows over and above domestic consumption. The dairy situation of the Fraser Valley of B.C.was in a similar condition to that of the fruit growers of the Okanagan, but they were not troubled about exporting any surplus,they do some exporting of condensed milk which brings a good price. The trouble in the dairy industry,was that the Fraser Valley Milk Producers» Association were holding up the umbrella,as is so of ten the case with co-operatives. They had to build or acquire plants to look after the surplus milk,and make it into butter, cheese,powdered milk,condensed milk etc..while many independents assembled and distributed milk in and around Vancouver. They bought just what they needed for the whole milk trade,and paid seven cents per pound butter-fat more than the Fraser Valley Milk Producers' Association could pay when the price of by-products was counted in the settling price. This caused consid-erable discontent among the members. The Fraser Valley Milk Producers' Association was in a unique situation,they were an integrated organization,handling the product through all stages,from the producer to the consum-er, for part of the fluid milk trade. They also sold wholesale to many distributers,to hotels,cafes etc.,and manufactured the balance into other products. So we see the industry was in a fairly healthy condition,except for the fact that the independ-ent shippers were getting about seven cents per pound butterfat more than Association members,and even at this rate of settling the independent distributers were getting an extra six cents 48 cents per pound B. F. over and above the recognized cost of dis-tribution which pays all expenses and gives a profit, This in-creased price to the independent shipper,and increased price to the producer distributer created a great deal of discontent as developed mentioned previously. Gradually the idea/of making all produc-ers share in the manufacture of surplus milk,and lower price received for by-products»until an act was asked for,making it compulsory for all dairymen in the Fraser Valley to share in the disposal of the surplus. There was considerable opposition to the act,which was ba-sed on-the report of the Milk Enquiry Commission,under the chairmanship of Dean F.M.Clement of the University of British Columbia. This enquiry was held during 1928,and they made a thorough investigation into the dairy industry in the Fraser Valley and the area which comprises the milk shed of Vancouver. Strong pressure was brought to bear on the Government by the producers,and an act was passed in 1929 entitled the " Dairy Sales Adjustment Act." This Act made provision for a committee of three,one appointed by the independents,one by the Fraser Valley Milk Producers* Association,with the chairman appointed by the Government. The cost of the Committee to be met by the producers. The act was not to be put in force for a year or until it was found impossible to make a satisfactory arrange-ment between the Independents and the Association. An attempt was made to work out a plan agreeable to both,"£>ut it was impo-ssible to make any satisfactory arrangement,and the Government was asked to put the act in force. The Act came into force on 49 on January 1st.1930 when the Committee as appointed started to function. The results of the first year's operations have "been highly successful as a whole,the price of butter declined about eight cents per pound wholesale,the production in the area in-creased 17$ during the year,but the Committee was able to pay the producer,practically the same price per pound B.P.as they received during 1929,without raising the price to the consumer. Most of the Independents complied with the Act although many objected to doing so,some refused to pay any proportion of their sales into the Committee(these are known as the Ginger group.) Apparently they hope to have the Act declared ultra vir es,when some cases are taken into court. They little realize the condition which would develop with uncontrolled competition in full swing. A price war is a probability if this system of orderly marketing is destroyed. I Disposal of the Surplus Milk by the P.V.M.P.A.- The by-products of the surplus milk which amounted to 41.3$ oí> tiie al in 1928 was made up as follows- butter 26. Vf0) casein .4$, powdered milk(skim).condensed milk 13.9$,cheese .7$.The but-ter was all sold in British Columbia,while the other products find markets in various countries throughout the world,China, Japan,South America,and Great Britian chiefly. This-illustrates how a surplus can be marketed in an .orderly manner,when it is all under one control. The operation of the Act did not destroy competition,as the distributors were allowed to deliver as usual,they could i 5 0 could not cut prices,"but could compete in service and quality. Preferred raw milk and some special brands do.not come under the Act,soothe tendency has been for this trade to.increase gr* thus eatly,and/avoid paying any share of sales into the adjustment committee. It has been known for years that a great deal of the ex-pense in distribution has been caused by duplication in deliv-ery. Recently plans were developed and a new distribution comp--any formed which took over about 95$ ot the milk distribution business.it included the Praser Valley Milk Producers'Associat-ion and several of the independent distributors,,The balance or 5$ being looked after by independent distributors with special milk. It was found by the SQmmission which investigated the in-dustry, that a-saving of about seven cents per pound B. E. could be obtained by eliminating the duplication in delivery. The new company took charge of the milk delivery business on January I 193**and are working out a system to eliminate several delivery rigs-from delivering in the same blocks or on the same streets. This will make a further saving for the producers and allow for a considerable expansion in the industry and still get the same price,as-previously,which considering the present depression is a. wonderful acheivement,as the ^ general index of practically all commodities has gone down very fast during the past year. This lower index on general commodities,makes for a lower cost of living for the producer,as well as a lower cost of production of dairy products,especially in the lower price of concentrate feeds that have to be purchased,these are down about 50$. The poultrymen of British Columbia find themselves in a similar position to the dairymen. The B.C. Egg Pool has been looking after the surplus eggs and has stabilized the market, since it came into operation two years ago. They have about two-thirds of the total egg product of the Eraser Valley and Vancouver Island,while the independent dealers and producera have one third,which supplies practically all of the local market. This puts the egg pool in the position of looking after the surplus,or holding up the umbrella. Their cheif market is in Eastern Canada,where the Canadian Egg Pool maintains a sales agency,and disposes of the surplus eggs. When the local market is best the Independents have the advantage,but at times the outside market is best and the Egg Pool then has the advantage as they have the supplies and the connections. During the past year the dealers who purchased and stor-ed eggs,put too many in storage,this no doubt was on account of the depression which set in,resulting in the decreased pur-chasing power of the consumer. The price of eggs did not go up as high as usual during the fall of I930,and storage eggs moved slowly, As fresh egg production increased it became apparent . not move that the storage eggs woulc^so an attempt was made to move them by reducing prices,which caused the price of fresh eggs to fall too. On January 1st according to the Dominion Government report on the situation there were over four million dozen eggs in storage whereas the usual supply was just over one million doz-en. Along with this we had a mild winter all across Canada and many flocks in the areas which usually do not produce any eggs eggs at all in the winter,have been laying this year,consequen-tly a great surplus developed,and prices dropped to a very low level,the producer getting from 17 to 19 cents per dozen for December and January» This was not as serious as it would have been a year ago,when feed was double the price. Flocks have been culled out and many of the boarders have gone,the product-ion was not decreased very much by the culling but the cost of production was reduced. The poultry industry is not in a healthy condition at present and we find that there is a demand for a compulsory po-ol or central selling agency to handle all the eggs,and elimin-ate competition. This is a good move,as the market could then be stabilized,the pool could have all surplus in storage,and would be in a position to export if too large a stock was developing. The only time that eggs can be exported to England is for the fall trade,and all our surplus or storage eggs,over what is re-quired to supply the home market,during the fall,while the hens are moulting and while the pullets are coming into laying,shou-ld be exported. This would leave a clean market,and we would not have the terrible slump which we have witnessed this winter. If the packers had got together last August,and shipped the largest part of the surplus four milliom dozen that was still on hand January 1st,they would likely have at least broke even,if not able to make a profit,instead of taking a loss of about ten cents per dozen on eggs they purchased last March, April and May,at around twenty-eight to thirty cents per dozen, v and have paid storage on since. A central selling agency would 5 3 would "be in a position to go after the export market,and have supplies to fill orders of practically any size,whereas the independent dealers were not able to do this,on account of not having a sufficient supply to go after the foreign or export market. During 1930 the Canadian Egg Pool secured an order for two thousand cases of eggs,to be shipped during August of 193° to Great Britian. They put these eggs in storage at New West-minster,but when the boat arrived to load the shipment,it was found that the cold storage facilities were not suitable,and that there was danger of the eggs becoming tainted,so it was considered the wisest plan to cancel the space. It was too late to arrange for other space to ship from Vancouver,and get them there in time. The management wished to fulfil the order,and manager retain the connection,so the general/went to Montreal and tried to secure eggs from independent dealers,with which to fill the order,or else have them fill the order and have the eggs repla-ced by the Egg Pool. They refused to consider the proposition, and the order for 2000 cases or 60,000 dozen had to be cancell-ed. These eggs helped to swell the surplus,and break the market in December as fresh eggs came forward in large quantities. The Canadian Egg Pool is working on a plan now,that will take care of such a surplus in the future. They plan to go into the storage business in a large way,and ship large quantities of storage eggs during the summer,to help supply the fall de-mand in Great Britian,and at the same time keep the local market healthy. They plan to build up an export department to 5 4 v to handle these eggs,and hope eventually that an export depart-ment or "board will be developed to handle the export of all agricultural products. Under the present plan they expect to be able to make a fair advance on the eggs stored. Arrangements are under way with the Governments of the four western provinc-es to have a guaranteed advance of eight cents per dozen on the storage eggs produced in the four western provinces. It is not likely that they would ever be called on to make any payment,as it seems impossible for eggs to go below this price. It may be necessary to enact compulsory pooling legislation before this plan can be put in force effectively. If the provinces have not the power to do so,it is up to the Dominion Government to take steps to make such a marketing scheme possible. Most of our laws,are made to make the few live and act,so as not to be a menace to society,but when it comes to markrting produce,competition reigns supreme. Competition is claimed to be the life of trade,but it is also the death of profits. Until recent years it was considered that a man had a right to grow a and sell as he liked,but this idea is changing,even if a per-centage of the producers still claim that right. It appears to be time that our legislators rose to the occasion,and passed acts making it compulsory to market produce in the manner that the majority of producers decide,so that a few individuals can-not take advantage of the stabilized markets,made so by the co-operatives and pools,or go out and under-sell ,or cut prices in order to dispose of their product,and leave the other fellow without any market. 5 5 The time has arrived to make every producer responsible for his own surplus,and also to give every producer his share of the local and domestic market. This can only he done through 100$ pool or central selling agency which has control of all the product. The demand for controlled marketing is growing throughout the world.it is not just a local condition.as I have pointed out earlier in this chapter. I beleive we can get this class of legislation and make it a success,but it is up to the producers to demand it,and if the consumer» can be solicited to support the move,he will find that it will be greatly to his own advan-tage in the long run,as he will not have to pay any more than he does at present,and will probably get his produce for less. Production will thus be maintained on a satisfactory basis and as the producer gets greater revenue,he will be able to increa-se his standard of living,and make larger purchases. This means more work for the consumer,who is the producer of the goods which the farmer will buy and in this way bring a greater meas-ure of prosperity to all. The British Government has a marketing bill before the house at the present time,that has passed two readings,which if finally passed^put into effect will control the sale and marketing of all farm produce in Great Britian. Only the grow-ers and the Government will have any say in the matter. The following press reports taken from " Butter-Pat February I93I, the official organ of the Fraser Valley MÍlk Producers' Association, published in Vancouver, B.C. 5 6 " Drastic remedies justified to save Agriculture. Year aft-er year the agricultural producer is asking more awkward quest-ions as to why his industry is doomed to continuous uncertain-l y in the matter of returns. Great Britian has,at last come to beleive that something must be done for the depressed condition of its Agriculture and Parliment has introduced the " Agricult-ural Marketing Bill Of this the British Minister of Agricult-ure,Dr Addison says " The Agricultural Marketing Bill introduc-es a Principle,- The principle of compulsion,which is congeni-tally repungent,not only to farmers,but to all English speaking folk. But it is never the less a principle which at every stage of our daily life,we are compelled to accept,and which we con-sider individual examples,we would not for our welfare willing forego. We may not destroy our neighbors property,we may not drive a car at night without lights. Behind these examples there is the common idea that none of us would do things which would injure other folk,and that is equally the reason for giv-ing farmers compulsory powers. " "Speaking over CJ-BR recently R.H.Milliken,Saskatchewan Wheat Pool Solicitor dealt with the objection that the proposed referendum on the 100$ pool is un-British. Mr Milliken referred to the bill the British Government has prepared and bringing before the present session,providing for 100$ pooling of cert-ain farm products,including milk,potatoes,hops,wool,cereals, cheese and livestook,and pointed out that " No one in the United Kingdom is to have any say as to whether these commodit-ies come under the act except the growers and the Government." I " In its capacity of executive organization for measres for the promotion of poultry raising,the administrative author-ity of the Comitat of Bihar ( Hungary ) has issued an order directing that in any commune in which two-thirds of the poult-ry farmers wish to keep improved breeds,all the breeding stock of inferior poultry must be replaced by improved breeds. This new measure has already been applied in four cases.n It is usually the case that laws have to be enacted to control the minority. In many lines our activities are curtail-ed,we are not allowed to be a public nuisance or annoy people. A majority can impose beer parlors on a district,and majority votes elect our members of councils, governments etc. They can pass legislation to suit themselves and those who are opposed have to accept it. So there is no sound reason why farmers if in the majority cannot have power to control their industry. I. Poultry, by A. Fold. Budapest, 1930 • International Insti-tute of Agriculture. Rome, Italy. (April I 31.) Note-The B.C.Govt.has refused to guarantee a loan of $50,000 to the B.C.Egg Pool,so irt is doubtful if any eggs can be put in storage for export. The Banks make advances on eggs for domestic use only. The- Bill providing for a Central sales agency to .handle the fruit crop,was thrown out by the Legislature,so uncontrolled selling will likely be in full sway this coming season. The Dairy sales adjustment Act was amanded but only after a big fight in the house,and many stormy sess--ions^ The cheif amendments were dropped before being passed.) 58 Chapter VI Production of Certified Seed Potatoes. Potatoes are reproduced by planting enlarged rootstalks , in the form of tubers. These may be in the form of small potat-oes, or parts of large potatoes,which have been cut so as to leave at least,one eye in each piece or set,two eyes would be preferable. They are also reproduced by planting seed,which is found in the seed balls. These seed balls are similar to tomat-oes,and are found in some varieties quite often,but they do not reproduce true to variety. By planting this seed we get new varieties,but it is only occasionally that a new variety is found that is better than existing varieties. It takes three years to find out if a variety grown from seed is of any value, and several years after that Ito try it out in different distric-ts,to prove its worth. Most of the new varieties of potatoes grown from seed are of poor shape or type.Many thousands of these seedlings are discarded,for each one that is kept or prom-ises to be of value. On rare occasions,new varieties may be secured through Bud Mutation,but it is only very rarely that this takes place in potatoes,or that the phenomenon is noticed. The only case that has come to my notice,was one that developed in Duncan on Vancouver Island on the farm of Phillip Fremlin. A new variety was found growing in a field of Gold Coin potatoes. He had pur-chased the seed from a seed house in Vancouver,so it was imposs-ible to trace the origin of the seed any farther. When he dug 5 9 dug the crop in the fall he found four hills entirely differ-ent from the Gold Coin,but they were all alike. They were small-er than the Gold Coin,and had a copper colored skin. They were a very good quality potato and a good yielder. He named them " Cowichan Leader after the district in which Duncan is loca-ted. I sent a sample of these potatoes to the Windermere Exp-erimental Station at Windermere, B.C.,and they were grown there for a few years,during 1926-28 at least. The reports that I re-ceived showed that they were among the highest yielders there. Mr. Heath,the head gardener at the time,advised me that he never got such a surprise in all his life as he did with these potat-oes. As mentioned previously they were a copper colored potato when grown at Duncan,but when they were dug at Windermere they were white,and turned pink in blotches after digging. They were also much larger and longer than the original seed grown at Dun* can. For centuries the plan followed in growing potatoes has been to plant small whole potatoes or potato sets secured from larger potatoes by cutting into two,three or more pieces,each piece having an eye or a cluster of buds from which the new plant starts. Potatoes are really enlarged underground stems, with a store of food to nourish the young plant until it be-comes established and has developed a root system of its own, and is able to draw its nourishment from the ground. This stor-ed up food is also a valuable source of food for human consump-tion,and on account of the ease with which potatoes are grown 6 0 grown,is much in demand as a staple food. Small potatoes are of little value commercially,so they are usually used as stock food or for seed. In many districts the small whole potatoes,about two ounces,are preferable for . seed,but in other districts the cut seed is equally as good,and in some cases better. Where the ground is wet,and in peaty soil, if the water table is high,cut seed is apt to rot,and in real dry land the tendency is to draw the moisture out of the cut potato,and hinder germination,or stop it entirely. We find that the small whole seed gives the best results in these cases. Some Whole Seed Vs Cut Seed.Experiments were conducted during 1928-29-30 on the Certified Seed potato plots at Sumas and Lulu Island B.C. These experiments were in charge of H.S. MaG.Leod,Cheif Inspector of the Certified Seed Potato Inspect-ion Service for B.C. Whole Seed Cut Seed In favor of whole Percentage tons per ac. tons per ac. Seed,tons per ac. increase 1928 15.2 4. 6 10.6 243 1929 10» 2 7.8 2.4 30 1930 x. 8.62 7.07 i. 55 22 1930 Y. 4.50 3.20 1.30 40 JL. Average of four varieties of main crop potatoes. Y. " " eleven "" of early commercial potatoes. 1928 results from experimental plots at Sumas. 1929-30 " " " " Lulu Island.B.C. These experiments were carried on to determine the value of whole seed over cut seed for low lying lands,that are cold and wet until late in the spring. Cut seed rots in many cases o l cases on this type of land,making a poor stand and thus reduc-ing yields. The rotting of seed accounts for the big variation in yields for 1928,when the experimental plots were on the Sumas reclaimed area. During 1929 and 193^ the plots were on much drier land on Lulu Island. The past two summers were dry, and the variation in yield was not so marked,but even this in-crease in yield from whole seed is of considerable importance. Results obtained at Charlottetown P.E.I.reported im.the I - i 1927 report of.the Division of Botany,show similar results.-Sizer of potato seed-piece,—An experiment to ^ determine whether small sets can be used economically for seed purposes. Pour years' observations reveal the^ tendency to,,be constant,of con-formity of plant growth with the size of seed piece. Hot only haver whole tubers produced heavier and more vigorous plants than cut sets,but the size of the plant increased in direct proportion, to the weight of seed-piece used. Resultsof size of set experiment-1927 (table66) Table 5 Yield in Bu.per ac. Percentage Order of Kind of set. marketable culls less seed of culls merit oz bus. bus. bus. % Whole tubers 3 161^ 140 245 46.5 4 2 I87£ 97£ 247i 34.2 3 Ii I99i I04| 275i 34.5 1 I 177 9li 248£ 34 2 £ I43i b4i 198 31 8 6ut sets I* I78f 70£ 2317 28.3 I I64£ 60 204jr 26. 7 6 £ I6li 48 1994 23 7 Average yields in bushels per acre from potato sets of diff-erent weights over a period of 4 years, (table 67) Table I..Report of Division of Botany,for the year 1927 6 2 Table 6 Yield per ac percent- Seed Order Market age of deduct- of able culls ed merit bus. . % bus. 276* 31 338* I 2551 29 313, 4 256} 27 3I9i 3 239i 25.5 297i 0 219* 21.5 262-f 7 279* 22 330* 2 254 22 32l| 5 2I7i 20 257* 8 Seed Seed pieee per ac. oz whole bus^ bus. tubers 3 394f 2 37i 35°f l£ 28 34-71 I I9i 317 £ 9 i 272 Cut sets l£ 28 358* I 11 38 M One important observation is the perceptible yearly decr-ease in yield. (The* results of 1927 were about 20$ below 1926^ Inasmuch as the plants in this experiment have been practically free from virus diseases,this reduction might be better explain ed by the fact that the same plot has been given over to potato experiments continuously. Where a^.rotation is followed,St is doubtful if this noticable reduction in yield would occur. It is evident that small tubers planted whole will return fairly good crops; but the practice should be indulged in only when seed is scarce or expensive,and the farmer is sure the seed re-presents a good-yielding,disease-free strain,bearing in mind that good seed stock is found only in healthy tubers which con-form to type and variety." M The results from these experiments (tables5&6) must be analysed from the view-point of the growers of Certified Seed Potatoes. As might be expected.yields have not been in absolute agreement from year to year. In the main,however,tendencies have been comparable. Larger seed-pieces have returned greater 6 3 greater yields,along with a proportionate increase; in culls,as will "be seen in the averaged results of four years» work (tab-le) 6). Ih addition tojproducing the most culls,3-0unce tubers require the greatest amount of seed per acre. On the other hand the l£-ounce cut set-(3-,ounce tuber halved ),requiring one-half as much for seed,yields slightly less certified seed. Similarly it, will be-seen that the l£-ounce whole tuber is more profit-able than the 2-ounce whole." The results obtained locally show a marked advantage in favor of whole seed,for Eraser Valley conditions,but good re-sults may be expected from cut seed,when conditions are favor-able,and the soil is well enough drained,to get warmed up be— fore planting time.Types of soil and climatic conditions are big factors in the production of potatoes. It has been found that potatoes do better in the cooler climates or where the soil can be irrigated. The use of fertilizers»manures,soiling crops,and rotation of crops are important factors in production of potato crops, but will be considered in a later chapter on the production of commercial potatoes. It will not be out of place however to mention that all these factors play an important part in the production of good seed. Large yields are more profitable and usually have the smallest percentage of culls or small potatoes. Having an abundance of plant food encourages a strong growth,which is us-ually the healthiest growth,and potatoes grown under these con-ditions appear to be the most resistant to disease. 64 As mentioned above climate plays a big part in the pro-duction of clean healthy seed,and we find that districts that are dry and hot in the summer do not produce good seed. If the soil which tends to be hot is irrigated,there is a big change in soil temperature and healthier seed is produced. Where dry, hot,or unfavorable conditions are not changed by man the seed tends to run out very quickly. This was demonstrated at the Summerland Experimental Station as reported by the Division of I Botany for the year 1927 in their annual report,-!! In the dry belt of the province,of British Columbia,virus diseases of po-tatoes are quite general. Of these diseases,mosaic has been,up to the present,the most prevalent,and growers have had diffic-ulty in trying to keep their various strains of potatoes free of infection. In an attempt to overcome this difficulty,many growers began importing certified seed from another section of. the province. These attempts appeared to be disappointing,for, although for the first year results were sometimes fairly sat-isfactory,during the second year infection was fairly severe, and in the third year's growth the crop was nearly wholly aff-ected. The existing conditions may well be illustrated by obser-\ vations made by this laboratory on plots at the Summerland Exp-erimental Station. It so happened that at the Farm there were growing three different plots rone from northern grown seed that had been planted locally for the two previous seasons; one from similar seed that had been grown locally for nne I. Report of Division of Botany,for the year 1927. ° 5 one season; and one plot from the current season's northern grown seed. A comparison of the three plots showed that in the plot of new seed the infection was less than 2 percent; in that of seed grown locally for one year infection ran about 85 per-cent; and in the plot of seed grown locally for two years 100 percent of the crop was affected. As a result of this condition the growers have recently adopted the practice of importing new seed each year,and natur-ally the question has arisen as to why there is this rapid det-erioration in their imported seed. There seems to be two possib-ilities as to the reason for this trouble. One is that the im-ported seed may already be inherently infected with mosaic when it is brought in. As is generally beleived,mosaic symptoms are sometimes masked due to certain environmental conditions of climate,and it is possible that the seed comes from localities where masking occurs. The second reason is that there may exist certain local environmental conditions whereby vines,although originally free of the virus trouble,readily becomes affected." The plant food in the soil at Summerland is not deficient but is not available for plant growth unless irrigated so the effect is the same as if the plant food is not present. During the years 1923-24-25, while I was inspector of certified seed on Vancouver Island,I observed a similar tenden-cy for potatoes to run out or develop mosaic very quickly.During the past ten years certified seed has been produced at Courtenay with very small amounts of virus disease present. Seed grown there has given good satisfaction year after year in that dist-district,and it usually gives good satisfaction for the first year that it is grown in other districts. If conditions are favorable for potato growing,and there is enough plant food for the crop.it is quite easy to grow crops year after year,that are practically free of the mosaic and leaf roll diseases. In 1923 I inspected a two acre field of Green Mountain potatoes in the Victoria district that were free enough of vir-us disease to pass inspection quite easily. The seed came from Courtenay district,being grown there in 1922. ( I might mention that growing conditions at Courtenay are much more favorable than at Victoria. Courtenay has an annual rainfall of 47 inches, the larger part of it coming in the winter but a fair amount in the summer,while Victoria has an annual rainfall of 25 inches and practically all of it coming in the winter,so that the growing season is usually dry and hot.) There was a fairly good yield from this two acres and the grower graded out nine tons which passed tuber inspection and were certified. This seed was purchased by a seed and feed store,and sold to other growers. Many of these growers asked for inspection,and I found on first inspection that there was from 20 to 35 per cent severe mosaic in every one of these crops. Another field of Green Mountain potatoes grown near Victoria for a longer period,two seasons or more was very suspicious of having mosaic,It had patches of from a few square yards to a square rod or more where apparent-ly all potatoes were affected with mosaic. This patchy condit-ion indicated that there was a soil condition which gave it this appearance. The field was on a slope and the lower half had 6 7 had practically all of these patches. I recommended the grow-er to divide the field and use the apparently affected part as commercial potatoes,and keep only the top part of the field for seed. He did this and the following year he sold 12 sacks of potatoes as seed,the buyer did not ask for certification,so I do not know how they turned out. The Experimental Station at Saanichton B.C. wanted some of this seed and I secured poun-ds for them. These were planted along with the other varieties on test in 1924 and showed 6l percent severe mosaic on the first inspection. This result is very similar to the results secured at Summerland a few years later as reported above. The following table of Northern grown seed Vs Southern grown seed as reported by the Agronomy department of the University of British Columbia shows that northern grown seed was more free of disease,where mention is made of the disease factor. These figures,the average of three plots in each case, show that northern grown seed was much better than southern grown seed,with Early St.George for the period of 1924-27, while the Green Mountain gave an increased yield for two out of four years,when taking total tonnage into consideration. Table 6 Northern vs Southern grown seed. (Green Mountain.) Marketable Unmarketable Average Date lbs.row lbs;per row Tons per acre 1924 N 87 N 18. 6 N 13. 93. 1924 S 92.3 S 15.0 S 14. 16 X. Local seed 1925 N 41. 6 N 24 8. 66 more affected w S 33.6 S 18.6 X s 6. 88 with disease 1926 than Northern N 28.3 N I6.3 N 4. 46 grown seed. •1 S 28.7 S 17.3 S 4. 6 1927 N 60 N 44.3 N 13-36 » S 69 S 30 S 13.07 68 Table 7 northern vs Southern grown Seed. (Early St. George. ) Marketable Unmarketable Average lbs. per row lbs per row tons per 54 N 20 N 9.76 58 S 18 S 10.10 N 29.6 a 14 N 5.76 S 13.6 s 29. 6 S 5.69 N 26.0 N 17.0 N 5.67 S 18.3 s 17.0 S 4. 66 N 54 N 33 H 11.35 S 26 s 37 S 8.32 N 31.3 N 3£-3 N 8. 66 S 17.3 S 28.0 S 5.98 X Mosaic and Rhizoctonia plants rogued out. Prince Edward Island Seed Potatoes in New Jersey. I " Sduth Jersey second crop seed,during the season of 1929, has certainly, made a reputation for the growers. The. following table shows the results from twenty-three potato growers in the county,and from observations and reports this same comparison would hold true-among the majority of the growers in Monmouth County:" Table 81 No. of Average Farms Yield--Bus. South Jersey II 204.9 Prince Edward Isle. 22 I8I.2 Virginia 5 152-9 Local 5 180.2 Maine II 174.5 Maryland 2 .156.5 (Note. It will be noticed that the P.E.I, seed gave excell-ent results considering the large number who used this seed. n The South Jersey seed growers should be congratulated on the high quality stock furnished to the growers of Monmouth I. American Potato Journal, Vol. 6 Ho. 10 October 1929. Monmouth County during the past year,especially when we realize that only recently they found it necessary to change almost completely their sources of seed.The move on the part of the South Jersey growers in securing from Maine and P.S.I.some of their "best strains of cobbler seed,certainly shows that the gro-ers are on the job,and anxious to produce a high-class product. Prom the past summer's experience,we beleive the South Jersey growers have an opportunity to hold a real place in the seed growing industry,provided a 100 per cent attention is giv-en to the original sources of seed from which the commercial seed stock is grown and if they also appreciate that even a small percentage of disease in their seed stock is too much to overlook and requires the most careful roguing. Prince Edward Isle seed has shown up well in Central Jer-sey, and it should continue to do so as long as these growers keep their seed free from disease. ±iy far the majority of seed used in Monmouth County is certified,and if enough certified seed were available it is doubtful if any other would be used. Certified seed from P.E.I., South Jersey and Maine as a rule produces some of the best crops in Monmouth County. It is further recommended by those who have made a study of the Central Jersey potato industry that at lea-st two sources of seed should be planted by every grower in Monmouth County. This recommendation is made on the strength of weather,soil and climatic conditions,as well as dates of harvest since the northern seed is ready for market earlier than the southern seed and thereby,extends the marketing season," 70 During the spring of 1924 six 10 pound samples were sent to Prince Edward Island by the B.C.Department of Agriculture, to be tested out. The Green Mountain sample was from Courtenay. The report received back in the fall showed that this sample was free of virus diseases,while other samples from other dist-ricts had some disease. Another point which I have observed is that where suffic-ient moisture is obtained to grow a crop,and a good application of fertilizer,high in potash appliedfrom 800 lbs to 1200 lbs-per acre-that the amount of disease is negligible or absent altogether. Some authorities consider that the use of fertilizers only masks the disease. I do not agree with this theory. It may be so in regard to the use of Nitrogen,which if used in excess produces a soft growth,and I would not be surprised to find the disease showing up to a greater extent the following year after its use. The use of a liberal supply of potash and phosphoric acid however does not produce a soft growth,but bui-lds up a more solid cell structure,and makes a more mature plant,which appears to have a greater resistance to disease,and produces potatoes that will grow under very adverse conditions and show very little disease the following year. But we cannot expect the progeny of these potatoes to produce disease free seed,one,two,and three generations later,when grown under cond-healthy itions unfavorable for/plant growth,such as a soil lacking in plant food,or where the food cannot become available on account of lack of moisture. 7 1 These observations tend to show that the virus diseases are controlled to a great extent by growing in districts fav-orable for potato production,where the soil does not get too hot,and where there is plenty of moisture available,also plenty of plant food in the soil to produce the crop. In Nova Scotia,New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island where they have the greatest success in growing certified pot-atoes, they have good growing conditions and use fertilizers very freely. Many of the growers have built up disease free stock,that is.it continues to reproduce under these conditions and does not show any virus disease. Two samples of disease free seed ,Irish Cobbler and Green Mountain, brought in from P.E.I.,and grown in Courtenay district from 1924 on,were free of disease for four years and were practically free of disease this year in the test plots of the growers' samples. They gave as good a record as fresh seed brought in from P.E.I, and Nova Scotia this year,showing that we have some districts that are capable of growing good clean seed,and some growers who can produce good seed. I have also found that the growers in B.C.in the districts where growing conditions are favorable,and where they use fert-ilizers freely,1000 pounds of a 4-I0-I0 mixture to the acre, that they produce practically disease free seed,that gives a clean crop practically any place the following year,but the second year will start to show up some disease,and a poor crop will likely be harvested if planted the following season,as in the cases reported at Summerland and Victoria. 72 This leads to the subject of growing seed potatoes,pure as to variety,true to type,and free from disease. To accomplish this a system has been built up by the Division of Botany where-by potato crops are inspected and certificates given to the growers who have been able to grow the crops free of disease or eliminated it to such an extent that they come within the regu-lations set for this purpose,as follows:-I " Rules and Regulations Governing Their Production.-During the past few years it has been amply demonstrated,that certif-ied seed potatoes can be depended upon to give higher yields of better quality potatoes than potatoes which will not meet cert-ification requirements. The standards set for certification in the early days of the inspection work were necessarily low compared with to-day, but the tolerance of 12 per cent disease plus 5 P e r °©nt for mixed varieties was considered necessary to obtain seed potat-oes in quantity even as late as 1920. The standard has been raised year by year and,for 1927,permits of only 3 per cent disease on second field inspection and no mixed varieties at tuber inspection. There were 10,392 acres which passed inspect-ion in 1926,a creditable record under such a high standard as obtained for 1926. Whether potatoes are grown for seed purposes or table stock,it is essential that the very best seed be used, as good foundation stock is the basis of good crops and profitable marketin&Certified seed has been adopted in all the principal I. Canadian Certified Seed Potatoes. Pamphlet No. 84-New Series 7 3 principal potato-growing districts,for it is found to be the quickest way to reduce diseases and the most efficient method of producing large quantities of desirable marketable potatoes at a minimum cost. The production of certified seed potatoes requires special care in the selection of seed,thorough methods of control of diseases,good cultivation,suitable soil,great care in digging, handling and storing,and careful grading. Such seed usually costs a little more than the common run of table stock,but is well worth the difference. Meaning of Certification.- Certification is a means of recording seed stock that is of good type,from vigorous plants, and relatively fr^e from diseases. When potatoes have been in-spected in the field and after harvest by an officer of the Dominion Department of Agriculture,and have been found to be vigorous and to conform to certain standards of freedom from serious diseases and of purity of variety,they may be certified. Official tags are issued for such seed stocks,and all potatoes sold as certified seed must have the official tag attached to each container of potatoes. It is an indictable offence under the Destructive Insect and Pest Act to use any other kind of tag likely to mislead an unsuspecting public. Growers and ass-ociations are permitted,however,to attach their own tags or brand or mark any container with any special description,but such must only be done when the official tag is present on the container. These tags alone constitute the guarantee that Can-adian certified seed potatoes are being dealt with. 74 Regulations Governing Certification. 1.The seed used in planting the crop for which certific-ation is desired must have been taken from stock which passed both field and tuber inspections the previous year. Seed should be of desirable type for the variety entered,and should be as free as possible from scab and Rhizoctonia,oT be treated be-fore planting. Any variety.however,which is correctly named may be cert-ified after passing all inspections for two years in succession. 2. Potatoes intended for inspection and certification should be planted at least 200 feet from other potatoes. This is to avoid possible infection. Disregard of this ruling has led to the rejection of many fields. 3. No fields which upon first field inspection have more diseases than are permitted in the standard,or show insuffici-ent growth and vigour,will be given a second inspection or fur-ther consideration for certification. 4. Fields should be kept well cultivated and sprayed for blight and insects. Weedy,poorly cultivated fields,and those showing many plants stripped by insects,will be disqualified. 5. Seed potatoes must be dug and handled with the great-est care to prevent unnecessary bruising or they will go down in storage. They must be kept from danger of frost injury. Tub-ers exposed to frost injury will not be certified. 6. First field inspection will commence about six or sev-en weeks after the average planting date for the district. Second inspection will follow in from two to four weeks later. 7 5 After field inspections are completed,growers will be notified by card if their fields have passed. The return of the card to the district inspector will ensure their receiving tub-er inspection. In the case of a field failing to pass the field inspection,grower is notified of this fact by letter and the crop is not considered further for certification. Tuber inspe-ction will be given at digging time,or as soon after digging as possible,and continue until all who apply for tuber inspect-ion have been visited. Certified Seed Potatoes - Inspection Standards Table 9 Field 1st 2nd Inspection Inspection % % Blackleg 3 I leaf Roll, Curly Dwarf 2 I Mosaic 2 I Wilts 3 2 Foreign I £ Misses (if due to roguing) 2 0 Providing that in no case shall a total of more than 6 per cent disease be allowed on first inspection or more than 3 per cent on second inspection. Table 10 Tuber Tags to be issued by inspector only on the express under-standing that tubers must conform to the following standard when shipped: Wet rot (Bacterial) k Late blight and dry rot I Scab or rhizoctonia-Slight 10 Severe 5 Necrosi?,wilts, and internal discolourations, other than due to variety. 5 Providing that in no case shall a total of more than 7 76 than 7 per cent be allowed except in the case of slight scab or Rhizoctonia. N ot more than I percent of powdery scab allowed under scabs. Not more than 2 per cent of the tubers to be malformed,or spindly,or badly damaged by sunburn,cuts,cracks,bruises,insects etc. No frost injury or foreign tubers shall be allowed. iiot more than 5 P e r cent by weight of the tubers shall be be-low 3 ounces or above 12 ounces. At fall bin inspection ,if more than 3 P e r cent late blight is found in the bin,grower will not be allowed to grade for fall shipment but may hold for spring shipment,subject to re-insp-ection. 7. Growers should allow at least ten days in storage be-fore attempting to grade. 8. Potatoes must not be sold as Certified Extra No. I seed potatoes unless they have the official certification tags att-ached to the containers. Certification is not complete until that time. 9. Seed stocks improperly stored as indicated by excess-ive sprouting or shrivelling will be refused certification. 10. Any person found guilty of misusing certification tags will be liable upon conviction to the penalty or penalties im-posed or set forth under The Destructive Insects and Pest Act. « These standards are much higher than they were even in 1920,and those who have been growing certified seed,or using certified seed to grow their crops have been able to increase 7 7 increase their yields and make potato growing more profitable. The industry has been particularly successful in Prince Edward Island where over three fifths of the potatoes grown are entered for inspection as certified seed,and a movement is on foot to have the Island made a disease free area,that is as near as it can possibly be by allowing only certified seed to be grown there. This will be a big advance for the industry and will be of great assistance,by eliminating crops which are dis-eased but not rogued. Prince Edward Island,although the small-est province grows the major part of the certified seed potatoes of Canada. During 1920 the Provincial Department of Agriculture in B.C. started a system of potato certification. The Federal sys-tem of certification did not extend to B.C. at this time. The rules,regulations,standards etc.were somewhat similar to those used by the federal Department,but the idea was for mass pro-duction and fields of ordinary commercial potatoes were inspect-ed and given certificates.where comparatively free of disease. This system accomplished some good but did not produce good foundation stock. Some districts were more successful than others on account of more favorable growing conditions. But the whole system made little progress on account of seed being sold as certified from districts that were not suitable for its pro-duction. The seed had been brought in and gave good resulte one year,but would not stand up,consequently certified seed got a severe knock and a set-back. liany growers tried to grow certified seed because it pro-78 promised to give greater returns,but in most cases they did not take enough interest in the industry. If the seed would grow and be free from disease all was well but they were not anxious to learn the diseases,and often hesitated to rogue out a disea-sed plant because that would reduce the yield. Some would try to get out enough of the bad plants to pass inspections. They were not interested enough to try and produce a better seed. My observations dating back to 19^3,are that there is only one or twcf growers in each district that are interested enough to go to the trouble to produce good foundation stock, about ten per cent that could grow certified seed if supplied with good foundation stock,and would do the necessary roguing so it would pass inspection,and the balance could grow good comm-ercial seed from this certified seed. This would give us three grades of growers. The foundation stock grower,who could also grow certified seed and commercials too if he was so inclined. The certified seed grower,who could grow commercials as well,and the commercial grower. The tendency at present is toward producing the foundation stock in a seed plot,which is carefully rogued,staking the best type plants that are free from disease,and selecting the best type hills from this plot,and the heaviest producers,for tuber and hill selection units,the following year in the seed plots. The balance can be used in the certified seed plot,but the poor-er^sliould be eliminated. If this practice is followed yearly the crop should im-prove,and disease will be almost eliminated. The seed available 7 9 available for the certified seed grower should produce a clean crop that needs very little roguing,consequently could be pro-duced and sold for a lower price than is asked for it at pres-ent. This seed in turn will give the commercial grower a great-er return, and he will be able to reduce his acerage and get the same tonnage produced at lower cost,thus making a larger profit if sold at the same price. Unless conditions are very favorable for the production of potatoes,I would not advocate growing of foundation stock in a district. Where conditions are not favorable the certified seed may be. grown if regulations could be enforced to keep com-mon or diseased seed from being planted. This seed if grown under favorable conditions,of moisture,temperature,and available plant food,will give a crop which would be fairly satisfactory in many districts not so favorable for potato growing,and which have proved not at all adapted for certified seed growing. By getting in new clean seed every year,the industry could be made much more profitable,that is the required amount could be grown on a greatly reduced acreage,thus reducing costs. We have laws controlling certain diseases among the human race,certain diseases among animals,birds and bees,also for controlling insects,pests,and weeds. Surely it is not beyond the powers that be,to make laws controlling virus plant diseas-es which cause a great economic waste each year. In fact it would be doing a good service for all,to take such a step and make it possibl e for every producer to grow a paying crop. 80 It may only be necessary to make some of the most favor-able districts.disease free areas and allow only test plots, certified seed plots,and commercial potatoes grown from certif-ied seed to be grown in these areas. In other districts.where certified seed can be grown^to forbid the planting of seed that is not reasonably clean, and compel the producer to plow up or destroy any crop that is badly infected with virus disease,or rogue out the plants infected if the crop is not over 20 per cent or so diseased with the various diseases that infect pot-atoes. But as soon as enough clean seed is available to forbid the planting of anything but certified seed. I am quite satisfied that the tuber unit and hill select-ion method will greatly increase our average yield,and it is not too much to expect,that the average yield can be doubled. During 1924 the Federal Department of Agriculture.Divis-ion of Botany,offered to assist with the inspection of certif-ied seed potatoes in B.C.The offer was accepted and two inspec-tors were supplied by the federal inspection service. This arr?» angement was carried out until 1927 when the federal inspection service took over the work entirely and supplied all the staff. This was at a time when certified seed was going out of favor very fast as the growers were not making any noticeable headway and certified seed was hard to sell,in fact most of it had to be sold as commercial potatoes. Since 1927 a new foundation has been laid and the growera who have remained are the ones who are the most interested and are trying to build up good foundation stock. Some progress has 81 has been made in hill selection and seed plots. Considerable valuable information is being secured from the test plots operated by the Department. The districts most suitable for growing certified seed are being located and the growers most interested are being found and encouraged to grow good seed. The amount of certified seed sold is increasing yearly and the industry appears to be definitely on the up grade. There are new growers appearing yearly,many of them drop out as they think it is too much bother to rogue and select,but the best men are continuing in the growing of a better grade of seed,as they find that they are getting bigger yields by doing Potato Inspection and Certification Service (John Tucker,Chief Inspector.Central Exp.Parm,Ottawa) I Approximately #1,500,000 was received by the certified seed potato growers for potatoes from the 1927,crop,exported under the offical "Extra No.I Seed"tag. In addition,over 2,^00, 000: bushels of certified seed were made available to the potato growers of the Dominion for the improvement of their table stocks. This specialized seed trade is growing rapidly,and is well worth the best efforts and the keenest interest of all con cerned. Very considerable responsibility rests with the inspec-tion service to .see that the quality of the produce is maintain ed,especially as many hundred new growers join the ranks of cer tified seed producers each year. There must be no slackening, otherwise this extensive business which has been so.carefully I; Division of Botany Report for the Year 1927 82 carfully built up would soon crumble away. All inspections were made free of charge to the growers; official tags were supplied free for seed which passed all in-spections. Cost of the inspection Service The total cost chargeable to this service in 1927 amount ed to approximately #78.000. Of this amount $62,000 was spent on actual field and tuber inspection work,for salaries and travelling expenses,and supervision; this amount,however,in-luded other neeessary work performed by the temporary inspect-ors,such as planting potato -'experimental plots,etc. .before act ual field inspection work commenced,and digging plots and re-cording experiments in the interval between field and tuber in spections. The balance of $16^000 was expended for salaries of all the permanent inspectors between seasons. This may reasonably be charged to extension work,Short Course lectures.addressing meetings , issuing foreign certificates on potato-,shipments ,etc. and for printing,supplies,etc. The.staff of inspectors employed for this work through-out the Dominion consisted of two senior inspectors,and seven district inspectors on full time pay,and fifty temporary insp-ectors engaged for varying periods. The inspection work necess itated total travelling on the part of the inspectors of over 200,000 miles by rail and car. The inspections made included one field inspection on 31,601 acres,and a second field inspection on approximately 3 3 approximately 28,|?00 aeres--a total of 60,100 acres,inspected. On the crop,after digging,pver 6,000 tuber inspections were made; at the farms,and approximately 2,000 shipping inspections. The total cost of inspections works out at #32,923 for field inspections,and #29,321 for tuber and shipping inspec-tions-, |62,000 for 31-,60I acres,approximately #2 per acre for all the inspections performed. The 1 cost varies considerably according to locality--in Prince Edward Island the cost per acre is lowest,being approx-imately #1, 20 for all inspections. Cost is highest in British Columbia,running at $8,72 per acre. The low cost per acre in Prince Edward Island is made possible by the large acreage in-spected,and the short distances travelled, " 84 Chapter VII Growing Commercial Potatoe Crops There are many factors to be considered in growing com-mercial potatoes.production,consumption,demand,soil fertility, moisture,climate,seed etc.as well as distance from market,mar-keting facili ties, ?tns uses for small, culls, or surplus potatoes. Potatoes grow best in the cooler climates,that is north of the 30th parallel of latitude. Early potatoes are grown cheifly south of this line,but practically all the late grown potato crops,are grown in the more northern states or in Can-ada in North America. They are grown extensively in Continental Europe,in Great Britian,Prance.Germany,Russia Poland etc.and are a main source of food in many of these countries. Production of potatoes in the cheif potato growing count*-ries for 1928 was as follows, Table II Prod- Con-Country Acreage Production % of Population uct- sump-(000) cwts(000) ave. (000) Omit- ion tion omitted omitted ted cwts. cwts Austria 468 54,858 1 5 8 . 7 7.000 14 Belgium 411 80,119 115.6 7.393 13 Czecho-slovakia I. 800 189,435 8 I.5 13.367 14 France 3. 614 248. 328 87.7 40,744 II Germany 7. 040 954. 85I 119. 4 60.000 26 4.8 Gr.Britian 814 I27. 66I 1 1 2 . I 45.OOO 3 Hungary 659 32. 419 87.8 8.000 4 Italy 8 75 32. 846 87. 8 39. 000 i Poland 6. 819 609. 8 l l 76.7 25.372 24 Spain 802 62. 382 103.1 20.000 3 United States3.825 ' 465.Ó57 123.000 3,5 2. 6 w " down 25$ 345 I77 (10$ below ave crop)(I929) Canada 599 50.195 9. 000 4.5 2 (I929) 544 39.930 (I930) 574 49.160 British (I929) 14.4 I. 34-7 Columbia 18 I. 892 (5 year ave 1924-28) 8 5 The demand for potatoes varies according to the country and standard of living of the people. The amount of potatoes eaten depends on the income of the consumer. Those with large incomes eat comparatively few potatoes,and as the income gets smaller the amount of potatoes consumed increases. In Canada and United States the per capita consumption is about two hund-red pounds per year or just about one-half pound per day,while in Germany it is about 7.bti.per capita or four hundred pounds. I MAn interesting study by Behrend shows that the consumpt-ion of potatoes in Germany stands in inverse ratio to the wealth and social status of the people. The well-to-do people there, use 3 . 6 bushels each per annum,about 210 pounds. The peasantry about 8.8 bushels or 53° pounds,and the laborers in Western Germany 12.3 bushels or 740 pounds. While in the eastern prov-inces the per capita consumption of the poorer laborers is about 17 bushels each per year or 1020 pounds. " A large portion of eastern Germany was forfeited to Poland at the close of the war. The production and consumption of potato oes in this area is quite large,as that was the part of the country with the greatest consumption per capita before the war. Potatoes are grown in a great variety of soils,and in mant climates. We find,however,that they do best in a deep friable loam with plenty of humus.available plant food and mois-ture etc.,and in areas where the temperature does not get too warm,or the soil too dry and hot. .Northern Europe with its cool,equable summer,has a climate better adapted to potato growing than any,except possibly the I.U.S.Department of Agriculture.Bulletin No.47, 1 9 1 3 . 8 6 the most northerly states in the United States,and the eastern provinces of Canada. I "The average mean temperature in Posen,North Germany,for July is 64 degrees P. Practically all of the potato districts in the U.S.,with the exception of Aroostook County Me. lies south of the isotherm of 65 degrees P.,and the average summer heat is not far from ten degrees higher than in Germany." Most of our varieties of potatoes are unable to with-stand high temperatures,and in the central to southern States, about two-thirds of the area of U.S.the potatoes are subject to tipburn,sunscald,and other troubles which result in abnorm-al maturity,and small yields. In the Southern States and Mexico only early spring or fall crops can be grown. " Climatic conditions for growing potatoes are quite favor-able in Canada, In the Maritime provinces,the temperature is even better than in the Northern States,they also get suffic-ient moisture,and the industry is usually a profitable one. As we go farther west we find that conditions are quite favorable in both Quebec and Ontario. In the Prairie Provinces the temp-erature is favorable but moisture conditions are not always good,so they occasionally haveoa small crop or a failure on account of a shortage of moisture. This was quite in evidence in 1929 when several hundred cars of potatoes were shipped in, British Columbia supplied J>l8 carloads,and during the same season imported from Washington about 30Q carloads. In B.C. we have a variety of soils,moisture and climatic I.U.S.Department of Agriculture,Bulletin No. 4 7 , 1 9 1 3 . 8 7 climatic conditions. In the dry belt the soil is usually quite fertile and produces abundantly when it receives moisture,this is usually supplied through irrigation as the rainfall is quite deficient. In central B.C. and the Kootenays they get more moisture but have a short growing season and may get frost dur-ing the growing season,but the temperature and moisture are usually sufficient. In the Eraser Valley we have a great vari-ety of soils,peat,silt,clay,sandy and gravelly loams. The temp-erature for potato growing is excellent,but on account of the •variety of soils and shortage of moisture during the summer months,there is a great range in yields. This is intensified by using many varieties of potatoes,and especially by planting varieties on soils that are not adapted for them. Similar con-ditions prevail on Vancouver Island,summers are quite dry around Victoria,but conditions improve as we move north on acc-ount of the increased rainfall. Seed is an important factor in potato production. It is essential to secure the best seed, either to grow it or purchase it. In order to get the greatest returns it is essential to get the highest producing strains. This can be accomplished by using certified seed,which was dis-cussed in the previous chapter,but it should be hill selected seed,where the highest producing strain has been selected. It is quite possible to double the yield by practicing hill selection, but it is necessary to keep up this selecting year after year, or purchase from a grower who is producing his seed in this manner. 8 8 I " Certified seed,spraying, the proper kind and amount of fertilizer,the right type of cultivation at the proper time, and growing potatoes on potato soil,are all playing an import-ant part in the elimination of chance in the potato growing industry of Central Jersey." 'A few years ago,it was claimed that luck played an impor-tant part in potato production,especially when a grower secured a large yield of high quality stock in a season when prices were high. To-day either there is no such thing as luck or luck plays very little part in the program of the grower who makes a profit above cost of production,four years out of five." '^Economic production,which includes the most careful con-sideration of every phase of potato growing is more than nine-tenths responsible for the profit from the industry. To secure a good yield under adverse growing conditions,and when prices are high is a credit to the potato grower,while large yields under ideal growing cohditions are easily secured by the poorer grower. Ihile marketing is a factor in profit and loss from the potato industry,those markets are limited which will return to the grower a profit from poor yields of low quality tubers. At:the same time,even in a-year of so-called^over production, buyers can be found who will pay a premium for high quality products. The buyer as a rule .knows where the high quality pro-duct is to be found and no amount of salesmanship or persuasion will continue to^sell a. poor quality product or a.poorly grad-ed package." I. American Potato Journal, vol.VI, No. 10. October 1929 8 9 Treatment of seed -- Potatoes should be treated for rhiz-octonia so-as to reduce the damage caused by this disease. It is a disease that attacks the root system and kills the lower part of the stem,making it necessary to develop a new root sys--tem,this new set of roots develop near the surface of the grou-nd. Potato^plants badly infected with rhizoctonia,usually pro-duce a cluster of small tubers or in some cases aerial potatoes which are useless,and reduce the yield very considerably. Every plant will become infected in extreme cases. The disease devel-ops rapidly,when a suitable host^is available,and gets worse each year if potatoes are planted in the same soil year after year,this is especially true with late or main crop potatoes. Early potatoes are dug early and usually are not affected by the disease. A rotation of crops appears to be one of the best methods of controlling the disease,treating with formalin or corrosive-sublimate are effective methods also. This treatment will help control bacterial diseases that are on the surface such as black-leg,and is an effective control for common scab. Ther virus diseases can only be detected during the growing s:easer,and using a subsoiler to loos-en to a greater depth when necessary. The soil should be worked several times before planting time,by discing,cultivating,harr-owing etc. ,to get a good seed-bed,this work will help retain 102 retain moisture and destroy any weeds. The soil will then he found in excellent condition for planting. The fertilizers which need to he applied in advance can be applied before this last ploughing and become thoroughly incorporated with the soil. Planting:- Several systems of planting are adopted,use of a planter,making drills,and planting as the field is plowed. With any of these methods a fertilizer can be applied at plant-ing time if it has not already been applied. The use of the planter is a common method ,but a serious fault with planters is,that they often do not plant deep enough. This may be more a fault of the operator than of the planter. Shallow planting is sometimes best in soils that have sufficient moieture,if it can be retained,but in soils that dry out deep planting is more desirable. If cut seed is planted shallow,the soil may dry out and absorb considerable moisture from the potato set reducing germination. I have seen fields on Vancouver Island that have been reduced from $0-90)% in germination from shallow planting. Another fault of shallow planting is that the field cannot be touched until the potatoes are up,as many potatoes would be unearthed especially if the field is harrowed. Harrowing is the cheapest and most effective method of killing young weeds,and keeping a good mulch until the potatoes are up high enough to cultivate between the rows. When this method is followed there is very little hoe work to keep the field free of weeds. The drill method is better in some ways but it has some draw-backs as well as advantages. It is adaptable to wet soils that need to be dried out some before planting. If moisture is 1 0 3 is scarce it is often a disadvantage to open drills as the soil dries out especially in hot weather and germination is reduced. The potatoes are in deeper however when this method is used,than they usually are when planted with a planter,and can "be harrow-ed several times or until the young plants are well out of the ground. If the staff planting is large enough,the drills are not open very long and very little moisture is lost. Planting as the ground is plowed has some advantages,"but it takes more labor than a planter,the drill method has this draw-back as well. By planting as the land is plowed the furrow is soon covered over and the moisture is retained,it also has the advantages of giving the soil ajthorough cultivation at pla-nting time and allows for harrowing which will keep the soil in first class condition,until the potatoes are up high enough to cultivate between the rows. In soils that are apt to flood or are inclined to remain moist as our peaty soils often are,it is of advantage to hill up the potatoes,this will raise them a little above the water table In the drier soils it is often to advantage to practice level cultivation,especially when there is a good deep seed-bed,and on-ly hill up enough to keep the potatoes covered if the tubers show above ground. Hilling may also be necessary to cover the tubers deeper to save them from the pheasants,but should be left as late as possible in order to let the tubers form,as they tend to form near the surface,for this reason it is best to delay hilling until the plants have come into bloom. Size of seed piece:- Considerable work has been done to 104 to determine the size of the seed piece,and treatment of the se-ed,as well as handling after cutting. It is generally recognized that a Ii or 2 oz.set is the most desirable and economical. Smaller sets may be used if growing conditions are favorable and the soil conditions suitable,that is ,if there is plenty of pla-nt food available to feed the young plant after it takes root, and plenty of moisture to assure it of a good steady growth. Thick potato peelings have been used in times when seed was scarce,and occasionally have given good results,but the practice is not to be recommended,if good seed is available at a reason-able price. If the season is apt to be dry,it is much safer to plant a fair sized set,so that the young plant has a store of food to draw on,until it becomes firmly established. A good start is often the difference between a good crop and a poor one other things being the same. Whole Vs Cut Seed:- This question has received much att-ention and many results have been tabulated. It is impossible to give definite recommendations to cover all classes of soils and conditions,but several tests and observations have made it poss-ible to advise on what is best for various types of soils and conditions under which potatoes are planted. Results of tests in B.6; are recorded in Chap.6 Pg.oO. These tests were carried out in the Prases Valley during the past three years,and they show that small whole seed is prefer-able to cut seed in this district,this is cheifly on account of the cut seed rotting or decaying,when planted in the cold wet g soil. Whole/is able to survive these conditions and give a fair 1 0 5 fair crop often a good one,while cut seed is often a failure. For this reason cut seed is not in favor or demand on many of the low lying soils. Results of similar experiments carried on at Charlotte-town P.E.I, are recorded in Table 5 Pg.¿1 and Table 6 Pg.62. I •» Trials with different size of seed potatoes under dry land conditions--Yield Table 16 (ave.for two years) Station WholeLarge Whole Small Two Eye Pieces bu.per acre bu.per acre bu.per acre Edgeley Sub-Station 154.6 III.O 109.0 Dickinson H 162,3 88.9 115.7 Williston " 99. ^ 77.2 78.2 Average 1 3 8 .7 92,4 100.9 The above table shows that the average results from a two years' trial on the three sub-experiment stations.gave 37.8 bu. more tubers per acre from planting large entire potatoes than from the ordinary two eye pieces. The difference in the amount of seed used,however,was twenty bushels or slightly more per acre,which leaves the balance in favor of the large tuber rath-er small. The price is usually enough greater at planting time than .at the digging season to more than offset this advantage. The results are interesting in that they show that under dry land conditions even those minor features which tend to stimula« te the early growth of a crop have an advantage not observed under humid conditions." Small whole seed is liable to have a larger percentage of disease than large potatoes,or to be badly diseased if taken from an ordinary crop,but if taken from a certified seed crop I. Bulletin No. 90 Exp.Station for North Dakota. 1 0 6 crop that is free of disease,will usually give good results. Cut seed should not he kept for any length of time after cutting unless spread out on a floor rather thinly. It gives best re-sults if planted soon after cutting. Some prefer to let the cut surface dry up before planting,but this is not necessary if the soil is moist and warm enough to start growth. UBC Scanned by UBC Library 1 0 7 Chapter VIII Cost of Production and quantity to Grow. Cost of producing an acre or ton of potatoes is a very important item in the potato industry. It is necessary to keep the cost at as low a point as possible,in order to get the cost of production at least,in years of a large crop which tends to greatly reduce prices. It will usually be found profitable to put enough labor,good seed,and fertilizer on an acre to produce a good crop. If the same amount of expense is applied to two acres the chances are that the total crop will be no greater than it would have been from the one acre. Twice as much seed would be required for two acres,but little time or labor could be expended on the two acres unless an exceedingly large amount would have been put on the one acre. The extra time in plowing, planting etc. ,on two acres would take as much time as the culti-vating,hoeing, and hilling up of the one acre. If the amount of fertilizer required to grow a good crop on one acre was spread over two acres it might show very little result. I Table 1 7 . Plowing $2» 50 Cultivating $2.50 Levelling & Irrigating I.$0 Harrowing I.00 Digging 7.5° Seed Potatoes 5« 0 0 Sacks 7.50 Planting 1.50 Marketing 6.00 Total "I35*. 00 This estimate is rather low,as some years it costs nearly that much for seed alone when it has to be bought,but if the producer grows his own seed the cost will be lower. This estim-ate does not indicate that any fertilizer was used. I. Colorado Potato Industry, Agri.Exp.Sta.Bulletin 1 1 7 . i o8 Table I8 Seed (3.98 cwt) $5.80 Plowing 1.90 Harrowing . 18 Cutting Seed . 80 Planting . 82 Weeding .55 Cultivating(3 times) 2.77 Spraying (3 times) .. 30 Paris Green $1. 28 Bluestone . 58 Dipping 1.18 Picking up 4 T. at I. 20 per ton 4. 80 Hauling & storing2. 60 Machinery cost 3 .00 Total $27.12 These figures show* a, very low cost .compared with B.C. cost of production as-given in Bui.86 Dept.of Agriculture where to $205 per acre. the cost is estimated at from 2 Table 19 Cost of producing Potatoes. 22 Empire State Potato Club Accounts-- 1928 Per Acre Averages % Total Cost Seed 19.5 tu. #35. 73 26.6 Material for'treating seed 0. 78 0.6 Fertilizer 15.39 II. 5 Manure 7.76 5.8 Material for Spraying 7.36 and dusting 6l hours 5.5 Man Labor 24. 22. 1 8 .1 Piece Work 8. 02 6.0 Horse Labor 59 M II. 60 8.7 Tractor Use 3.1" " 3.14 2.3 Equipment Use 59 M 6.02 4.5 Truck Use 0.45 0.3 Miscellaneous 1.24 0.9 Use of Land 9.70 7.2 Interest on Investment — J k â . Total Cost $134.03 100. 0 Yield 302 bu. Cdst per bu. $ 0.453 Cost " Ton $ 14.95 Seed represented over one-fourth the total cost of pro-duction, exceeding the amount paid for man labor.which was about 24$.The average total cost per acre was $134.03, the range in cost being from $92 to $172. Labor costs are less closely re-lated to yield than the other factors studied. 1. North Dakota Agri.College Exp.Sta. Bulletin No. 90 2. American Potato Journal, March 1929. Vol.VI No.3 1 0 9 I Table 20 Cost of Producing Potatoes on the Illustration Stations. Vancouver Island. District Year Yield per ac. Cost Ave.Cost Ave.Profit Alberni M n 1927 1928 1929 tons 15.33 6.45 6. 14 per ton 10.40 17.30 18.18 per ton 17.02 17. II 17.37 per acre 100.16 68. 32 84.73 Courtenay 11 H 1927 1928 1929 11.66 10.17 IO.36 14.56 15. 68 14. 52 13.13 13. 64 13.79 270.80 175. 04 189. 85 Comox H » 1927 1928 1929 7.25 7. 60 5.25 25.16 21. 80 21.78 24.17 23. 65 21.79 62.18 36. 70 51. 43 Duncan it 1928 1929 5.38 5. 48 22.97 20.71 21. 84 37. 83 99.16 Prices of potatoes used in figuring average profit were as follows:- 1927 and 1928 #20 per ton except Duncan Station where price was #30 per ton for early potatoes. Price in 1929 #40 per ton. Duncan Station #5° P e r ton (early potatoes). No price quoted for Comox Station for any year. The above costs of pro-duction show that it is necessary to have a good yield if grow-er hopes to make any profit. The largest yields are produced at lowest cost,but it is necessary to get a good price to show a reasonable profit. The small yields however gave a profit in these cases on account of good prices received,but cost of pro-duction was too high to be profitable in ordinary years. The distance from market is also a factor in cost of pro-duction. Many potato growers claim a potato crop is not profit-able when grown more than five miles from market. The useful enployment of teams ,and labor when they might otherwise be idle enters into the calculations. If x>otatoes are cheap, five miles n o miles is no doubt the limit that they can be hauled without in-curring too great an expense.unless labor is also cheap. But if potatoes are a good price they will stand a greater trans-portation charge. Since the advent of motor truck we find that potatoes are hauled 5° to 75 miles at a cost of ^4 to $5 P e r ton,this is not Out of the way with potatoes at to $30 per ton. But is too great a proportion with potatoes at per ton,as they then would be produced and sold at a loss in most instances. The cost of transportation will be a determining factor,also the location of warehouses in potato districts,to rail or cheap water transportation. Stations Fertilizers:- The use of fertilizers on the Illustration has demonstrated their value in the increased yields obtained, and increased profits over the unfertilized plots,showing a lower cost of production. Results obtained are shown in tables 1 3 , 14-, & 15 in previous chapter,pages 97, 93, & 99. Theese tab-les illustrate that fertilizers have in nearly all instances given a larger j-ield,and gave an increased profit over the un-fertilized plots. Tbis is one of the most effective methods of increasing yields and profits, but fertilizer will not do the work alone. It requires good soil,good seed, fertilizer,and thorough cultivation with good management to get maximum re-sults. I l l Quantity to grow:- The answer to "quantity to grow",is just the amount that will be consumed,but owing to the abunda-V nee of nature at times and niggardliness at other times,it is impossible to produce the required amount. If nature is abund-ant there is a surplus over actual requirements,which is usua-lly very closely associated with low prices,if the crop is short high prices result. I Prosperity and hard times have some effect on the supply-price relationship. Large crops of winter fruits and vegetables may sell for a higher price when wages are high than when they are low. Potato prices probably reflect similar circumstances." "With seed crops that are inter-changeable such as corn and oats there is a tendency for prices to move up and down together. If production is large there is a tendency for more to be fed to livestock with an increase in livestock products. But subst-itution is not so easy with such mostly human foods as wheat and potatoes. Consumers want about the same amount each year, regardless of whether yields are high or low. They are willing to pay high prices in order to obtain their usual quantity,and will not buy more than usual when prices are low. Large crops consequently sell for very low prices,and small crops for very high prices. In 1925 when the potato crop was very small,prices in Boston rose to a peak of $5. 79 per 100 pounds in April,com-pared with 99 cents per 100 pounds the preceding April. The 1922-24 were so low that many potato crops were not harvested." In British Columbia during a scarcity in the spring of 1920 potatoes reached a price of 10 dollars per 100 pounds. I. Agricultural Reform in U.S.A., Black. 112 I The average price during 1925 was $2.35 per 100 pounds whereas it was only #1.04 in 1924 and went below 51.00 in 1928. So the problem of weather surpluses is therefore serious for potato growers. This situation is intensified on account of the nature of the crop. A small crop and high prices will draw potatoes from a distance,as freight rates remain fairly constant but large crops and small prices mean no movement at all. In many cases the potatoes would not pay the freight,so it would be foolish to ship them. A similar situation has developed on the prairies this year in regard to the cereal crops,much of the low grade wheat and coarse grains cannot be moved as the rail-ways want the freight charges in advance,as they are afraid of the grain not selling for enough to pay same. Much of it could be moved and fed to good advantage if the freifgt rates were lower,but in some cases the producers are burning it in place of coal or wood. Grain can be carried over from one year to another but it is not a wise policy to follow. Potatoes are much more per-ishable than wheat and cannot be kept from year to year,so it is necessary to consume them as they will become unfit for food by the time the next crop is ready for digging. methods of disposing of the surplus and processing them will be dealt with in the next chapter. The only sure market is our home market including domest-ic requirements,the amount required for seed, and what can be used for feeding purposes. The Consumption of potatoes in B.6. is approximately .55 pounds per capita daily,this amounts to I Canada Year Book 1930. 1 1 - 3 to-.a'bout 200 pounds per capita yearly. With a population of approximately 600,000 in B.C. it is easy to figure the annual consumption 600^000 X 200 - 60,000 tons. Vancouver and New Westmin 3ter area will use about 30,000 tons annually,Victoria about 5000 tons,and the balance of 25,000 tons by the other cit-ies , towns »villages and rural districts. About 16,000 acres are planted to potatoes annually in B.C.,this requires about 8000 tons for seed,so the total requirements are 68,000 tons. To get this amount it is necessary to grow about 80,000 tons to allow for waste by rotting,shrinkage, small,culls,mis-shapen and cut tubers. A large part of this can be used for feeding purposes. In years when we have a surplus,and prices tend to be low there may be an opportunity to export or ship to the prairies. Early potatoes are often shipped there,and late potatoes as well depending on their crops. It is often necessary to ship in potatoes from south of the line to meet local demand,some years it runs into hundreds of carloads. But these shipments will not be so frequent now on account of the increased tariff,now $15.00 per ton,unless prices go very high when it will pay to import and pay the high tariff and freight. Owing to a dry season during 1929 there was a crop fail-ure on the Canadian prairies and large quantities of potatoes had to be shipped in. British Columbia supplied 5 1 8 carloads that year,which netted the farmers a good price here,as they received from $35.00 to $40.00 per ton at shipping point. This took care of the surplus that year and kept a good healthy 91ar-114 market locally,which absorbed large quantities of potatoes from I Washington. It is estimated that about 3 0 0 carloads came into B.C. out of Il80 cars entering Canada. This season prices have remained low,from #15.00 to#22.00 per ton,since soon after the main part of the early crop came on the market. The crop was not a large one but the price has stayed low,no doubt in sympathy with the general depression and reflects the lowered purchasing power of the people. At present prices it is not at all likely that any potatoes will come in from across the line. I. Canada Year Book . ii5 Chapter IX Disposal of Surplus Potatoes or Utilization of the Potato. Among the methods of using up surplus potatoes we find the most general one is feeding to stock. Large quantities are disposed of each year in this way. Fuel alcohol is an important industry in Germany and might be adopted here to use up the culls if there is an excess over feed requirements. Cull potat-oes are used in the manufacture of potato starch,which is used in large quantities in the textile industry. Glucose is a pro-duct that can be made from potato starch and used for sweeten-ing and candy making. Dried potatoes and potato flour are other ways of disposing of the surplus,and the pulp left ,after the manufacture of some of these by-products is valuable for stock I food. In Germany the development that take up the surplus is one of the most important causes of the phenomenally large production. Table 21 U.S.A. total production 34-3,587,000 bushels (1929) Utilization, for table purpose 68/2 _ stock feed 5/® 1 1 seed 11% starch manufacture I% (or less) Lost by decay n Iffi 100^ Germany, total production 1,653,403,000 bushels Utilizat ion,for table purpose 28% stock feed 40% I seed 12% alcohol manuf. 6% starch etc. 4% Lost by decay 10% 100$ I. U.S.Dept. of Agrie. Bulletin No, . 47. II. U.S. Dept. of Agri. I l 6 I Use for stock feed, Wisconsin --442 lbs. potatoes s 100 lbs. corn meal for/ pigs. Oregon - 350 lbs.steamed " « IOOlbs.barley for pigs. .. " raw " = 100 » " " " " Average yield of barley in Alberta - 26.8l bushels." " Suppose that in a good potato district,like that around Edmonton,the yields might be 40 bushels barley,or 400 bushels potatoes per acre,i.e. 24,000 lbs. potatoes to 1920 lbs barley, or more than 12 to I. " II " The problem of preservation may be overcome by ensiling Best results when washed,pulped,and mixed with 2-to f/o corn meal (improves fermentation)J' "U.S. Bureau of Animal Industry found potato silage,used as part of a mixed ration for hogs,in comparison with corn meal at 3 cents per lb. ,was worth $25.22 per ton,or 250 lbs.silage s IOojLbs. corn meal. " " For dairy cows potato silage and good corn silage were of approximately equal value. Potato silage,therefore,is more pro-fitably fed to hogs." III Potato Silage--How to Make and Use " The outfit for making potato ensilage is simple and not expensive; six barrels,good big ones,vinegar or molasses barr-els,a root cutter and a sack of corn meal;1 "A day or two before making the ensilage the corn meal is put into a barrel and enough water added to thoroughly saturate it but not to make it sloppy. Let stand in a warm place to sour I. Poster, Exp. Sta. Saanichton B.C. II. U.S. Bureau of Animal Industry. III. American Potato Journal, April 1929. Vol.VI. Ho.4 1 1 7 sour or ferment;it will soon begin to look and act like yeast or starter;this is the function it has to perform in making potato ensilage. Potatoes alone will not ferment but spoil; therefore,from 2 to 5 P e r cent corn meal must be used. Get your barrels and your starter (corn meal) ready,wash the dirt off the potatoes (do not use rotted or decayed ones),run them through the root cutter,and put a bushel of the chopped potat-oes into the bottom of the barrel,a little of the fermented corn meal,some more potatoes,and pack down with a heavy piece of wood or anything that will serve the purpose. Alternate potat-oes and corn meal till your barrel is full,and be sure it is well packed,the harder the better. Place some boards,cut to fit inside the top of the barrel,and place a stone on top to weight it down. Add no water or salt,just the potatoes and corn meal, cover with chaff or cut straw to exclude the air from the en-silage as the mixture settles in the barrel." "The potatoes furnish enough water and the fermented corn meal acts as yeast; fermentation sets in,and after about three weeks(sooner if weather is warm)your feed is ready. This method makes it possible for the man with a few cows and a few pigs to have a real silo in his barn—a poor man's silo,if you please." "Keep your barrels covered when you begin feeding. Potato silage,like any other silage,will turn black and mold when ex-posed to the air. As soon as a barrel is empty,scrub it and re-fill it. "" I "Alcohol" Cull potatoes, such as those used in starch production, I. U.S. Dept. of Agri. Bui.No. 47 118 are also suitable for alcohol production. Potatoes are made into a.mash and fermented,and the alcohol distilled from the resulting liquor. Only the starch is used up. The proteins and remain in the mash,and make a valuable by-product for stock feed. The potato alcohol industry has not been developed in America,but in Germany we find many co-operatively owned dis-tilleries run by the farmers,for the production of denatured alcohol. n I Yield of alcohol from, potatoes -"According to European statistics we find that three million tons of potatoes produced seventy-five million gallons of 100% alcohol or approximately eighty-three million of 90$ alcohol. From these data,one ton of potatoes would produce about twenty-seven gallons of 9°$ alcohol. This agrees fairly well with calculations from a theoretical standpoint. The star--ch content of potatoes varies from 15. 57® t 0 nearly 30% i.e. one ton contains from 3*0 pounds to say $00 pounds of material con-vertible into alcohol. One pound of starch produces,theoretic-ally, one-half pound of alcohol,there-fore one ton of potatoes would produce from 150 to 250 pounds alcohol (100$) or 165 to 275 pounds alcohol (90$) »equivalent to 20-4-0 gallons 90$ alco-hol. " "Assuming that one ton of potatoes produced 27 gallons of 90$ alcohol (this is the yield obtained in actual practice)and comparing it with gasoline at 20 cents per gallon,the gross ret from return from one ton of potatoes would be approximately $5.40/ which must be deducted the cost of material and manufacturer I. F. Shutt,Dominion Chemist,Ottawa. 1 1 9 I Potato Starch-" The principal food starch of Western Europe,and the raw material for glucose manufacture in Holland and Germany. Germany,I9II,produced 383,019,708 lbs. of potato starch 124,332,385 " " glucose. Total annual production was over 600,000,000 pounds. Japan,1918,exported to U.S. 21,806,975 lbs. potato starch. U.S. produces about 20 to 25 million " " " Cull potatoes are used in Maine,at 8£ to I7/zf per bushel yielding 15$ starch,worth about 5 cents per pound. During a 10 year period(previous to 1920) the farmers of Aroostook County,Maine,received $4,500,000,for cull potatoes, worthless except for starch manufacture. Even partially rotted potatoes can be used for this purpose. The potatoes are washed, ground,sifted,and the starch recovered by settling in vats. In Germany the starch factories are mostly owned co-operatively by the farmers" Dried Potatoes-"Dried potatoes are used both for human food and stock food. If intended for human food,they must be parboiled or cook-ed with steam,to kill enzymes and prevent subsequent darkening. Even then,slow browning will occur unless moisture content is reduced to 6.5$ and potatoes are stored in air-tight containers at cool temperature. Their value is not fully appreciated,as they are a great convenience in hotels,dining cars,on boats etc At present the principal use in the U.S.A. is as the cheif in-gredient for dehydrated soups. I. U.S.Dept. of Agri. Bulletin No. 47 120 "Method of preparation-- Haw potatoes are washed in large paddle machines and peeled,followed,in some methods,by cooking. They are then treated in one of these ways: (a) Ra\v potatoes sliced or riced,dried in thin layers by a current of hot,dry air. (b) Cooked potatoes(by steaming)dried by passing between rollers internally heated:(potato flakes). This is the popular method in Germany,the required plant costing less. Most plants are owned by farmers,singly or co-operatively. (c) The U.S.D.A. worked out a process in which potatoes were finely pulped and pressed into large"dheeses",to be furth-er dried. This is the simplest and cheapest process. Used for stock food only." " "Value of dried potatoes-«Kellner found they resembled corn meal closely in composition,and could replace it pound for pound;1 Note- 400 bush, potatoes (at 22$) s 5,2.80 lbs. dry matter 40 " barley (at 88%) r-I.^90 " " " " Potato flour—The flakes.manufactured as in the German process are ground into flour. In 1921,there were eight factor-ies in the U.S. each using about a carloads a day,over a work-ing season of 150 to 200 days, .Price to farmers 60^ per bushel. Yield of flour,about 20^ of wgt. of Michigan potatoes. 25^ « " " Idaho " Capacity per factory,about 8000 lbs. of flour per day. Use of flour,cheifly as a bread improver. Price about 9 cents per lb." 121 The possible utilization of surplus potatoes in these ways offers an outlet for all our present surplus,and the sur-plus of many years to come,if the growers can be organized,and produce with the definite object in view of supplying the dom-estic market,and turning all the surplus into by-products of one form or another. Before any one by-product is manufactured it will be necessary to make a complete survey of the situation and enter on the line that offers the greatest possibilities. A plant that could handle several lines of manufacture would be the most suitable,but it would have to develop as the need arose Several small plants in the potato districts might be the solution,or one near tide water where potatoes could be shipped by scow with the advantage of cheap freight,it should have rail connections also. 1 2 2 Chapter X Functional Services Storage. Farm Storage- A great many systems of storage on the farm are in use,harns»basements,root cellars,and pits. Most of these systems give satisfactory and cheap storage. There is often spare space in the barn,that can be used for a few months,the potatoes are handy to get at to grade if bad weather sets in,and the culls are handy to feed to the stock. Basements are also used in many cases,and afford good storage. A basement has similar advantages to a barn,but has a few disadvantages,and cheif among these is carrying the potat-oes up out of the basement to ship. The culls have to be carr-ied to the barn or to the stock. Potato or root cellars are similar to the basement for storage purposes,both in advantages and disadvantages. When any of these methods are used,the potatoes should have a free circulation of air around them. This can be accomp-lished by using a false,or slatted floor made in sections,so that it can be easily removed for cleaning after the crop is taken out. The walls should be stripped and slatted,this will allow a free circulation of air up outside and through the potatoes. Slatted partitions about every six feet are also de-sirable. This method allows for the potatoes to be piled to a depth of six or seven feet. It will be found that they will keep dry and come out in first class condition. Potatoes placed 1 2 3 placed in bins like this when wet will dry out thoroughly if there is not too much mud or earth sticking to them. The pit is a common and cheap method of storage,but has many disadvantages. The potatoes cannot be touched in cold weather and often the high-priced market is lost. With the heavy rainfalls here at the coast,they require more watching and attention,as the earth covering gets wet and is apt to fr-eeze through in a cold spell. Many of these pits have a cover-ing of boards overlapping to keep out the rain,but it means considerable trouble,to make the pits,earth them up,and put covers on them each year. This method is not as satisfactory as the other methods mentioned,but is often adopted for part or all of the crop. Potatoes in a pit will keep much better if raised up a few inches from the earth by cedar rails. They also require some ventilation which may be closed during a cold spell. Each production area should have a warehouse close to rail or water where a large quantity of potatoes can be stored. There should be local storage warehouses for about 2$% of the crop of the area,unless large quantities are being processed in some way. Even then storage is required as the processing will or should extend over six months or so,in order to operate efficiently. The processing plant and storage warehouse should be together so that all potatoes graded out,will not have to be moved again before being used up in some manner, This part of the subject.processing,was dealt with in a previous chapter. It is necessary to have about six week3 to two months 124 months supply,on hand in warehouses,either in the consuming areas or production areas. It may be found of the greatest ad-vantage to have warehouse capacity for three or four months su-pply,as a large part of the crop could then be moved direct to the warehouse and save any further handling. Warehouses in the centres of population would vary accord-ing to the size of the cities. Vancouver would need warehouse room for five or six thousand tons,Hew Westmin ster 5 0 0 to 1000 tons,Victoria 1000 tons,to tide over a cold spell or bad weather Shipments would come forward from the country warehouses as the supplies were drawn out for consumption. Grading Grading is a very important factor in the movement of potatoes from producer to consumer. Potatoes well graded are more attractive and will encourage consumption,but potatoes poorly graded will discourage consumption. A mixed lot of potat-oes with cuts,bruises,rots,and small,large,and rough potatoes all put in together are not attractive. There is a lot of waste in such potatoes and they are dear at $1.00 per sack of 100 lbs. when "A" grade are selling at $2.00 per sack. The cull potatoes are of some value on the farm as stock feed,but are not desir-able for human consumption,and often have to be destroyed. Freight has to be paid on them,so there is a double or treble loss to the farmer,in not having the potatoes and paying freight on them to the city. I " Potato Experiment in G rading --In agricultural products, as elsewhere,a part is frequently worth more than the whole,as I. Marketing Agricultural Products, Boyle., 1 2 5 as is illustrated by the following experiment. Seventy bushels of Irish Cobbler potatoes were graded,and sold to a retailer at the following prices. Table 22 "A" grade—55 bushels at $1.25 per bu. #68.75 •6 Canadian Certified Seed Potatoes .Pamphlet #84 72 New Series, J.Tucker Division of Botany Report,1927, H.T.Gussow,Ottawa 6l Whole vs Cut Seed ,Charlottetown,P.E.I. 199 64 Experiment to Develop Disease Free Strains of Potatoes,at Summerland,B.C. 224 8l Potato Inspection and Certification Service 228 Experimental Farm, Agassiz,Report of J.J.Woods 95 Fertilizer Tests Il8 Yield of Alcohol from Potatoes,Dr. F.Shutt,Exp. Farm Ottawa Illustration Station Reports,A.E.Richards Agassiz,B.C. 97 Potato Fertilizer Tests Alberni,B.C.1927-28-29 98 " " » Courtenay, 1927-28-29 99 " " Duncan 1928-29 109 Cost of Producing Potatoes on Van. Is. 1927-28-29 155 Thesis Reference Page Report of Whole vs Cut Seed Page 60 Sums and Lulu Island,B.C. H.S.MacLeod 61 Charlottetown P.E. I. ,Div. of Botany 199 U.B.C.Report of Northern vs Southern Grown Seed 67 Green Mountain 68 Early St. George 68 P.E.I.Seed Potatoes in NEW JERSEY, Am.Potato Journal Vol.6 #10 Oct.29 294 United States Department of Agriculture,Bull. 47,1913 85 The Role of Potatoes in the National Dietary 3 86 Climate 5 II5 Production of Potatoes in U.S.A.and Germany 2 117 Alcohol II 119 Potato Starch and Dried Potatoes IO-II H o Feeding Value,potato Silage,U.S.Bur. of An.Industry Exp. Station. North Dakota, Bull, 90 105 Trials of Different Size of Seed Potatoes under Dry Land Conditions 92 108 Cost of Production, North Dakota 123 107 Cost of Production, Colorado Agri.Exp.Sta.Bui.II7 23