REPUBLICAN

November 18, 1887

 

WAUPACA POTATOES

The Oshkosh Times Man Looks Over the Business Here

 

 

            The potato crop of Waupaca county is enormous and beyond a doubt there is not another place on earth of the same extent of territory where potatoes are so extensively cultivated as in this county.  There were, according to official statistics, in the year 1885, 4,999 acres of potatoes; in 1886, 5,547 acres, and this year the acreage has been increased to 8,081, which is immense for a county having no more square miles than has Waupaca county.

            During the early part of the season things looked extremely discouraging to the potato growers of this section on account of the extreme and continued drouth, which to a certain extent, diminished the yield, especially that of the early varieties, tow of which are chiefly raised here, the Early Rose and Beauties of Hebron, which suffered extremely for want of rain, and were not much benefited by the rain when it did come on account of being about ripe.  But all the late varieties were greatly helped by the rain. The chief varieties of late potatoes raised in this county are the Burbanks, White Star, Dunmore and Peerless.  Taking the whole yield of late and early kinds this year all through the county, and it will be about 125 bushels per acre, which is considered by the farmers as a fair crop.

            It will readily be seen that with a yield of 125 bushels per acre, this county with its 8,081 acres has upwards of a million bushels of potatoes this year.  About one third of the crop of 1888 has been removed and 1,700 cars are required to ship them to market.  Nearly all shipments so far have been made to the states of Illinois, Ohio, Indiana, and the northern part of Wisconsin and Michigan.

            About 800 carloads of the entire Waupaca county crop is tributary to this city, and handled by the following firms:  Jeffers & Penney, W.C. Baldwin, A.D. Smith, L. Tern, K.T. Chandler and E.T. Bailey.  There are eight potato warehouses in this place and they are all filled to their utmost capacity.  The price paid by dealers thus far has ranged from 45 to 60 cents according to the kind and quality, and the prospects are that prices will remain up during the winter, as the crop in Illinois, Ohio, Indiana and the southern part of this state has been almost a total failure.  Of the remainder of the 1,700 carloads produced in this county, 500 carloads are tributary to the village of Scandinavia, and 400 carloads to Sheridan.  A great demand comes from Chicago, about one-half the daily consumption, 10,000 bushels, of that city will be furnished by this county.       

            By January 1, next, fully two-thirds of this year’s crop will be removed three-fourths of the whole crop being yet in the hands of the farmers and dealers, so that by the beginning of 1888 there will yet be upwards of 250,000 bushels in this country which will mostly be shipped to market during the winter in cars prepared for the purpose and heated with a stove, and thus no risk will be run, no matter how cold it may be or how far the shipping destination.  In the early part of the season, some of the late potatoes were dug before they were fully ripe, but those are all out of the country now.

            According to the statement of a local chemist the average potato this year contains nearly three times the usual amount of starch, the most valuable and essential property of the vegetable.

            From the usual price, demand and yield of the potato, it will be seen that the farmer in this country is as well if not better off than in a wheat growing section, and consequently this county is progressing as rapidly in wealth and population as any part of the state.  In a few years this will be one of the richest localities in the northwest.