The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-05-31
Sweet Potato Meal.
Greenvitle Mountdineer.

Greenvitle Mountaineer.
A few weeks ago We printed an article
from the Cotton PAtnt, giving some infor.
nation In regard to the preservation of
sweet potatoes, as the result of expert
ments made by our friend, Maj. Thomas
W. Woodward, Of Fairfield County.
The statements contained therein have
been the cause OF much inquiry as to the
mode of keeping the potato, and as the
plans adopted by Maj. Woodward for
cutting and grinding the potato into
meal cannot fail to prove valuable to the
farmers, we have procured from him
more detailed statement of his expert
ments. As he is known far and wide as
one of the most intelligent and practical
farmers in the State, the letter of MAJ.
Woodward ought to secure a careful
perusal from every man who is desirous
of improving bis condition, and we are
sure that the directions given are based
upon an actual knowledge of the facts,
which will enable any one to follow the
example of our distinguished friend.
By the way, if the man is regarded as
benefactor who causes two blades of grass
to grow where only one grew before,
surely the man who discovers plan to
keep the sweet posato indefinitely deserves
to be canonized as tho patron saint of the
farmer in South Carolina. No crop that
is grown loses so lsrgea per centage
after it is gathered as the sweet potato,
because it is subject to the changes of
climate, and often farmer loses one
half of his crop in single night. By
converting the potato into meal, the
danger of loss is reduced to the lowest
figure, and the crop is thereby greatly
enhanced in the value. The letter of
Maj. Woodward is as follows:
RocKToN, S. O., May 20, 1893.
MY Dear Hoyt: You desire the details
of the manufacture of sweet potato meal.
This does not require me to treat of the
culture of the potato and its advantages
to the land, both as preventive OF
washing-each row being terrace-and
as source of humus, supplying as it
does an immense amount of vegetable
matter. But all farmers will readily uu.
derstand that these advantages are part
and parcel of the scheme.
We will, then, begin with the potatoes
harvested. If much dirt adheres, wash
or pass through series of revolving
brushes, so arranged as to clean the pota.
toes then pass them through machine
which crushes and cuts them into pieces,
the smaller the better-a New England
vegetable cutter will do, although cutting
rather large; or if on small scale, slice
by hand about quarter of an inch thick.
The problem now ia to dry and grind.
Having purchased roll of wire netting,
with meshes not larger than one-fourth
of an inch aud about two feet wide, cut
the roll into pieces four feet long and
tack on the bottom Of tray, made from
strips three inches wide and three fourths
of an inch thick. These form the vessels
for drying the green mass upon.
With ordinary sunshine two days will
suffice to fit it for grinding, but for
greater safety and more expedition 8
kiln must be provided where FIRE takes
the place of sunshine, and where the
work can be done in few hours. Ihave
been using kiln made just as is used
for curing tobacco, the potatoes spread
upon the wire bottom vessels, about
bushel in each, and stacked SO tho hot
air can permeate to the best advantage.
This kiln, although answering the pur-
pose, is not as efficient as many of the
more improved plans now in use to sup
ply currents of hot air to buildings, and
recommend investigation in this direc-
tion.
The potatoes are now ready to be
turned into meal, and can be ground on
any corn or wheat mill, provided arrange
ments can be made to feed them into the
stones, which can best be done by crush.
ing the dry mass into smaller shape.
For this purpose use Kelly duplex
corn and cob mill, set so as to pass the
coarser particles as large as COW peas.
This should fall upon vibrating sieve,
which separates the coarser portion suita-
BILE for stock from the finer for family
purposes. If extra family is desired,
pass the coarser portion through grist
mill, into which it now readily feeds,
and you have a substitute for corn starch,
for boiled custard, the finest Ingredient
for baked custard, and mixed half and
half with -four or corn meal, the basis of
the finest potato hoecake, johnny cake or
biscuits you ever tasted.
Horses and mules eat the potato meal
ravenously, and COWS delight in it, while
hogs and poultry rave over it. The agri'
cultural chemists tells us that three and
half bushels of green potatoes make
one when dried, and that the dried bushel
in equal to one of corn. But in my expe-
riments it has taken only three to one,
but probably did not dry so thoroughly.
Now few ideas in closing. Five
hundred bushels can be made to an acre;
two hundred 10 an ordinary yield, and
certainly the standard can be raised to
three hundred. Three hundred bushels,
if am correct, will make one hundred
when dried, equal to one hundred ofcorn.
It is then practicable to cease raising
corn at about seven bushels to the acre,
and make one hundred-feediDg horae
on the product Of "ne acre. Not only
this, but weight anu bulk and ability to