Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1893-04-15
Potato Kitchen.


EDITOR ENTERPRIsE:-"The East
ern Shore Potato Kitchen is an as
sured success, if our farmers decide
to make it so. The idea has quietly,
steadily grown into favor, until now,
it has the advocacy of the ablest
papers published in our State. 1t
has the hearty favor of the board OF
managers that will represent Virginia
at the great Fair. The board will do
all in it's power to aid this unique
exhibit The Kitchen will not be
relegated to an obscure corner OF the
Mt. Vernon building 1t will have
its own conspicuous place. Speelai
rates will be given on the potatoes
and requisites shipped to Chicago.
All that is assured thus far, is need
full. Without these securing factors,
the Kitchen" could not be. But, all
this advance has been made indie
pendent of our farmers. That SO
much has been assured III so short a
time, is not far from the marvellous.
Men move slowly in the wake OF a
new idea. In this instance, men
seized the idea at birth, gave it impulse
and direction, and now, but one
thing can hinder it from reaching
Chicago, and incorporating itself
with the worlds exhibits / repeat.
but one thing. can hinder-prevent
it. And that is-indifference OH The
part Of those most, and vitality, con-
cerned in the movement. remains
now with the farmers of this Shore,
to say whether it shall be q success,
or failure. Thus far, neither their
time, thought, nor substance has
been taxed And yet. most of those
essentials that are external to our
selves are put within our reach.
Surely we cannot, must not fail to
grasp the lever, now that distant
hands have taken hold to elevate our
beloved Peninsula into II deserved
prominence. Years ago Falconbridge
wrote of the Eastern Shore as that
"God forsaken country We know
it as one of the best that God ever
made. And yet, for all that we have
done to advertise its eXcellencies,
thousands may still quote Falcon
bridge, in speaking oft. Now, what
can our farmers do III aid of the
Kitchen? First. they can talk up"
the exhibit, agitate the matter, un-
til they get the Indifferent interest
ed, the luke-warm Jealous. They
can encourage and cooperate with
the excellent committee recently ap-
pointed. And, would add, money
is essential to Il successful kitchen
at least | find it so in our kitchen,
very much so in fact-it is essential
to the success of this kitchen. But
our farmers are already pressed and
burdened. What then? Well, how
will this do? Let every potato grow
err, every local buyer and shipper,
every merchant. with whom our
farmers spend their money, and all
other friends who will, give contri-
buttons OF potatoes. Let each give
what he cana barrel in some cases,
barrels in others. What is not used
in the kitchen, can be sold
to BUYERS on the spot-remem-
Der, Chicago, is q big spot"
in which to canvass for sales, and the
hotels. restaurants and private homes
will have millions of hungry mouths
to feed. In this way Il sufficiency of
funds can no doubt be raised and no
one will feel the burden. Will it not
be the best paying investment ever
made by the Eastern Shore? 1t must
result in widening the knowledge of
our Understand to know them is to
love tlem-and thus charging and
multiplying our markets for The
same. Our potatoes are not known
even within our own state-much
less fnr beyond il. Ask a dweller at
our state capital (which county in
the state grows the finest sweets?n
lie will reply: Undergraduates he
has learned by accident that we
grow them BY accident" | mean
that he has learned it without our
endeavoring to inform him. In this
day the business that is not adver-
tised must drag, or die. A little
tract of land, near some foot hills OF
the Blue Ridge, produces apples Of a
superior quality. The same tree re-
moved a half mile from this little
area. would produce inferior fruit
comparatively. 1t is said that some
enterprising soul, years ago, sent a
sample of the fruit to England.
What was the result? Today, in no
market in our country, ut any season
of the year, can you buy barrel of
the genuine Albemarle Pippin. They
grace the tables of royalty and of the
nobility of England. PipDins grow
elsewhere in that county, but they
lack the flavor and tineness found in
that little strip Of land. The Abe
marie Pippin would only have served
tn aid the glut of fruit in some small
err market, but for the genius that
advertised it's merits. Unlike Abe
marie, it is not here and there in our
county, that spot can be found
that imparts high qualities to its
product. The homogeneous charac-
ter of our soil-no hills nor valleys to
vary it's strata-gives uniformity of
quality to our sweets. Theya are high
grade. Let their excellence be known.
Let the great West know of them.
At the same time teach the great
West-what? Why, how to eat them.
My good wife adds, yes, and how
to cook them Seriously, it may be
safely affirmed, that the only thing
that blockades the markets of the
West against us, is Ignorance. And
they are not to be blamed for it,.
Here we have the grandest oppor
tunity. The kitchen will introduce
to them our sweets, and also our
methods of cooking them. Many
will buy few and test their own GU
linary skill on them. They will
succeed, want more, and thus-the
enemy becomes ours. In the most
natural manner, we have created a
demand and opened new markets.
This is sure to follow, in time. Then
if we raise the standard of handling,
so that the Eastern Shore brand be-
comes guarantee of select culling, as
wellas inherent excellence of the tub
er, I'VE need have no fear of a negative
answer to the old question: "Does it
pay US to grow sweet potatoes?"
April II, 1S!J3. S.
Husr-d 10 De~rh.
Mrs. BETTY Mapp, wife of John
Mo,,p Word TOWN Northa1nrltOn