WAUPACA REPUBLICAN

October 30, 1903

 

POTATO POINTERS

 

            Potatoes have been coming in lively this week and the prices have averaged all the way from 43 to 49 cents during the week according to quality.

            C.G. Sawyer, who has been in his father-in-law’s, A.M. Penney, office as bookkeeper and in charge of shipments and sales, said Tuesday that the prices paid are much higher than the markets will warrant on general shipments, still they keep buying and shipping just the same, not caring to store for a possible future demand, which is generally an uncertain thing.  The warmer weather this week has had a tendency to show the effect of possible decay of potatoes grown on heavy soils, those loads coming in from such localities having many specked and rotting potatoes, which as far as possible are carefully thrown out.  The potatoes grown on the lighter sandy soils are generally beauties.

            Many farmers are storing potatoes.  Every cellar in the city is being filled, and as the farmer has leisure in the winter when the price suits he will keep the ball, or the potatoes, rolling.

            The potato business gives employment to many people on the farms as well as the cities and villages.  In Waupaca if it was not for the potato industry represented by the haulers, warehouse men, bookkeepers, shipping clerks, etc., including the starch factory managers and employees, thing would be dead enough as it is now the moving of the potato crop that helps amazingly in moving business.  In fact the banks are overworked paying out money and looking after their end of the check string.  Good thing, push it along.

            The Weyauwega Chronicle has an item in regard to Michigan potatoes as follows:  In a personal letter from F.S. Woodnorth, he writes that he has been over nearly all of the potato country of Michigan, and the general report is that he potato crop is nearly ruined owing to the heavy rains.  He says some of the farmer will have to buy seed for next season.

            The Central company is now running a daily potato train, starting at points down the Portage branch thence to this city and stopping at Waupaca and Weyauwega on its way to Chicago.  The train consists of from 20 to 30 cars per day, and this is the first year in the history of the road than an exclusive potato train has been operated.  It proves a great benefit to shippers, insuring the least possible delay to Chicago and other southern markets. – Stevens Point Gazette.

            Now if the road can furnish sufficient cars Waupaca dealers can add from four to five more cars daily than they do now, to that train.

            According to a special report issued by Secretary John M. True relative tot his year’s crop of potatoes the crop in Waupaca, Portage and Waushara counties is estimated at 72 percent of a full crop as against 44 to 50 percent in the other counties of the state.  The three counties above named produce about one fourth of Wisconsin’s potatoes.

            The above coming from John M. True is a pretty good boom for central Wisconsin.  Take it one year with another our sandy loams produce better crops than the black heavy soils of Wisconsin or other states.