Remember when they used to put potatoes in burlap?

Rollie NE PA · Feb 5, 2012

Found some bags in the shed the other day.

Greg1959 · Feb 5, 2012

That's how we got burlap to use in our bee smokers.

Handyman · Feb 5, 2012

Burlap is still being used to package spuds, 100# and 50#. mostly #2 grade but some #1s also.

donjr · Feb 5, 2012

Yakkin with a neighbor today. Can't rememeber what brought it up, but his wife asked a friend who was going to Maine for a vacation to bring back 50# of potatoes with her. She did bring back some potatoes she got in Maine, but when they looked, there was a stamp on the bag that said they came from New Jersey..

big fred · Feb 5, 2012

If you ever come across a "Rocket Brand" potato sack from Johnson Bros Farm in Rolette, ND, I'd appreciate a picture of it. That's my dad's potato sacks. He quit raising spuds when Uncle Cecil died in '69, and I'm trying to re-create that Rocket Brand logo to put on a '50 Ford F-6. All the leftover sacks were disposed of when they tore down (filled in)the potato pit on the farm.

BCnT · Feb 5, 2012

i havent seen a real burlap bag in ages...useta get everything in em.
anybody remember the wooden tea boxes that loose tea was shipped in...we used em for chickens to roost in.

Lesformore · Feb 5, 2012

When I was a kid on the farm we grew a lot of potatoes that fed our large family until the next crop was ready a year later. We would use burlap sacks to take them from the garden and put them in a root cellar under the house where we emptied the sacks and went to get some more.

Eldon (WA) · Feb 5, 2012

I bought a bunch of NOS Allis parts in MT off of this site in 05....all the parts were bagged up in burlap potatoe bags...heavy parts in first, lighter on top. Still have the bags if anyone is interested.

ShadetreeRet · Feb 5, 2012

Yep, "Taters in burlap, fertilizer in 200lb. canvas type bags. and chicken feed in cotton sacks with patterns printed on them and Mama would make clothes out of them.

Bartt · Feb 6, 2012

I hand picked potatoes in Washburn,Maine more years than I care to remember. Starting about 1949. We used wooden barrels then. Also picked in Ashland, Easton, Presque Isle, Fort Fairfield, Parker Siding, Mapleton, Limestone and a few other places. Still love eating potatoes.

SweetFeet · Feb 6, 2012

Not sure if this would be the same Rocket logo your dad had or not... but this Rocket potato bag is for sale at etsy.com for $10

http://www.etsy.com/listing/77699803/vintage-burlap-sack-rocket-brand

Rocket spud bag burlap

Sam#3 · Feb 6, 2012

All the livestock feed and grain used to come in
100# 'gunny sacks.' I spent a year working in a mill
hand sewing sacks and at one time knew how to tie a
'millers' knot.

PJH · Feb 6, 2012

At the mill in Percy, Illinois, there's a hand lettered sign that reads:

Instructions for sacking feed:

1) Fill the sack

2) Weigh the sack

3) VERY IMPORTANT! Sew the top!

I'm sure there's a story there. . .

They've got a neat little hand-held sewing machine to sew the tops. Slick as a hound's tooth.

PJH · Feb 6, 2012

Seed taters still come in burlap sacks.

Sam#3 · Feb 6, 2012

The Boss where I worked wouldn't spring for an electric machine so used a hand needle. This was a spear like thing about six inches long and sharpened on both sides. A good hand (Man) could sew a sack in about five seconds including the tag.
If you have ever seen old pictures of sacks with the 'ears' on the upper corners they were hand sewn.

big fred · Feb 6, 2012

Thanks, but that's not it. Our Rocket was smaller, with large fins. I've tried to re-create it from memory, with my oldest brother's help, but I keep hoping to find one to help my memory.

Remember when they used to put potatoes in burlap?

Rollie NE PA

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Greg1959

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Handyman

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donjr

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big fred

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BCnT

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Lesformore

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Eldon (WA)

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Bartt

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