Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-07-13
SWEET POTATOES.
some Facts aud Figures OF Interest
TO Our Truckers.

It viii be of interest to the Chatham
County Fruit and Vegetable Growers Asso-
citation, to learn that there is a prospect
of a liberal reduction being made in the
rates of freight on the shipment OF sweet
potatoes. This appears ia an interview be-
tween Mr.. Joseph NJ. Brown, General
Freight Agent Of the Western and Atlantic
Railroad, and a representative Of the At
lanta Constitution, as follows:
.'Mr. Brown, l believe several lines, OF
which yours is one, propose to haul sweet
potatoes as class 3D. Tell me something
about It."
6The rate said Mr.. Brown, sis for local
freight, and reduces the price nearly one
half Where, FOR instance. you have been
accustomed TO paying 500, you can no|
ship for SIS, OF IN that proportion"
"Hsve you not arranged through freight
rate 2"
"Not vet. We are in correspondence, and
l think IN two weeks We will have rates
made to Western cities that will be so ex
e.ediugly low that people will be able to
ship potatoes with profit"
"Whst gentlemen are interested with you
in the movement"
r Dickens, of the South Carolina Road;
r. a Whitehead, Of the Central Railroad;
lanes S TAYLOR. Of the Savannah, Florida
and Western: A. J. Orme, of the West
P5int: E P. Wilson, of the Cincinnati
s 1uthern; George r Knox, of the Memphis,
Chattanooga and st. Louis, and J. NJ. Cook,
OF the Louisville and Nashville"
''Will you not thy to make rate to the
East?"
ono; 1 suppose not. Potatoes for New
Y ork can 60 cheaper by steamer. In the
great Northwest they cannot be raised, and
are very popular, so we propose to put the
rate so low that the potatoes will be In
reach Of the Westerners"
Colonel J. s. Newman, OF the Department
OF Agriculture, on the potato subject, says:
81 suppose there are about fourteen mil
lion bushels OF potatoes raised In Georgia.
Every county in the State raises them, but
Of course most Of them are raised IN the
southern part OF the State A6Oui one hun
dred and fifty bushels per acre can be raised
rs an average. Ny ideS about the solution of
the potato problem is this: They should be
evaporated and then packed away. They
could be shipped to any part Of the country
At slight expense, and would be in every
w9y as good as when they we're first gath
cred. The United States buys evsporated
apples and Irish potatoes for the army and
navy, and l don't see why we can't dry
sweet potatoes for the same pur-
pose. The people have never realiz ID
what boon evspOrators are. They
will save vast amounts Of fruit and
vegetables. A gentleman named Pete,
from Ohio, is coming here next fall to set
up an evaporatlng establishment. He will
tyaporate okra, tomatoes, corn, etc. All
these things, and more too, can be evapo-
rated, and made as good as apples are.
Take potatoes, for instance. 4 sweet po-
tao is IS per cent. water. EvspoTate It, and
there is a less In weight Of IS pounds out Of
every hundred, and that gives margin for
shipping long distances. When the potato
GETS to Chicago It can be put into water,
and very sooa is Itself again. But to shio
by freight, as It now IL, IS a dead loss. 4r.
! NJ c. Reed sh pped a large crop Of pc
iatges 60 81. Louis, and lost not only his DO
| toes, but spa In cash by this speculation"
TWill It pay 10 eVaporate themt"
"Of course, eVapOFstOrs will evaporate
/ from ten to hundred bushels every day at
| a very light expense"
'FWhen will the crop be gathered, and
| how large will it bs?"
/ f'The crop will be gathered in October and
1 November-ss ec0n as the frost kills the
/ wires. The reports SHOW general average
Of 9 Der cent. above the usual aversge-fcr
/ the condition st present-Middle Georgia is
| y per cent. above an average, North Geor-
| Ola is l per cent. below: Southwest Georgia
/ is u per cent. above, and f lst Georgia is l3
| per cent. above, and in other sections IA
! Potatoes form a great crop. When j. K
| sneed vas eating tee MACON gsCGr96h he
| said that man should consider we'll before
| he left Georgia for the West that iJ was a
| lad IDEA to leave a country that produced
sweet Potatoes ana aid Aeld peas.H