FARM AND DAIRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 August 1918, Page 3

FARM AND DAIRY.

THE POTATO IX COMMERCE. While the potato can he grown in almost any temperate zone area, ninetenths of the world's crop of 6.000,000,000 bushels is, in fact, prottuced in a, halfdozen countries, and almost exclusively in Europe and North America. Germany, Russia, Austria-HungaTy, France, Great Britain and the United" States produce in favorable years about 5,000,000,000 bushels' of potatoes, while all the remainder of the world produces .hut 1,000,000,000. Yet these six countries producing five-sixths of the world's potato crop have only 450,000,000 people, wliile the potatoless section lias a population of over 1500,000,000, or fully two-thirds of tie population of the world. Those facts were contained in a recent lecture in Xew York before, the educational department of the National City Bank. It was stated there that Germany is by far tiie largest potato grower in the world, producing about 2,0(10,000 bushels, using them a s a food for man and animals, in the manufacture Of alcohol for use in her industries, and for the production of heat and power when necessary. Next in line are European Russia, with an annual crop of about 1.000.000,000 bushels, Austria-Hungary, 000,000,000; France, 500,000,000; United States, 450,000,000. •am] Great Britain, 300,000,000 bushels! Germany, primarily because of her vast preponderance as a producer, but latterly because of the need of conserving iier food, has been, and is still leading the world in the number of factories for utilising 'this product. From only a dozen some years ago the number of plants increased to 400 in 19)14, and to 840 in 1910, which can utilise half of the 2.000,000,000 bushel crop. More is likely to be heard of the potato crop in foreign commerce after tho war, but unless come signs fail ibis is one line in which America will not shine. The reason for this lies in the comparatvoly small production per acre in that country. The potato crop averages only about 00 bushels per acre; that of European Russia, 100 bushels; France, 135 bushels; Austria, 150 bushels; United Kingdom, 124 bushels; and Germany, ?. ft n bushels and upwards per acre, the lifter's flavorless potato, grown chiefly for alcohol, having reached and sometimes exceeded 500 bushels ptr acre,