Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-04-20
VIII Potatoes Pay3

Will it pay 70 grow eweot potatoes
in large quantities for sale at fifteen
cents bushelp This is question
that we would be glad to have some
of our readers answer, either affirma-
lively or negatively, giving the rea-
sons for the conclusion reached. We
would deem it. a favor for as many.
as possible Of the farmers of Sumter
county to give us an opinion on the
matter, for an affirmative answer
may beside the location in, this city
of large starch factory that would
consume one to five thousand bushels
of potatoes a day. &.
All farmers who have had experi-
ence in growing sweet potatoes are
qualified to speak, for they know how
many bushels an acre will produce,
the amount of manure required, the
cort OF cultivation, cost of harvesting
ard hauling TO the nearest Depot.
Therefore we ask our readers to
think of tho matter, write out their
opinions and send them to us at their
leisure.
In the query, the price of potatoes
is fixed at fifteen cents bushel for
tho reason that fifteen cents was the
lowest price mentioned by the South
ern Starch Company prospeotors who
where in this city last week looking
for suitable location for factory.
The same price, whether it be fifteen
or twenty cents q bushel, will be
paid at all depots within easy reach
of the factory, consequently the
farmer who lives fifteen, twenty-five
or more miles from this place, but
near a depot, will be on the same
footing as the farmer at the factory
door. The potatoes richest in starch,
and therefore moro valuable to a
starch factory, are the Southern
Queen and Bohama varieties, which
are, we have been reliably informed
by experienced farmers, the most
prolific and at the same time the
easiest cultivated. A comparative
statement showing the relative net
profit that farmer can realize from
potatoes, corn or cotton, at current
markets prices for the two last named
products and fifteen cents q bushel
for potatoes, would be of decided
interest, and we trust some of our
readers will make up such state
ment from his own experience as a
producer of the three crops men,
toned. ..=
Speaking off hand and with only.
such random information as we have
been enabled to gatherhere and there
in the course of conversation with
various farmers, we arc decidedly
inclined to believe that there ia more
clear money to bo realized from the
sale of sweet potatoes at fifteen cents
n bushel than there is in cotton at
six cents pound. This may be q
erroneous belief and we shall be under
obligations to the one that points out
the error. The average crop of cot
ton does not yield in excess Of $50
pounds of lint to the acre, in fact,
the records prove that tho average is
much less than that, therefore the
gross income from an acre of cotton
is only $15. We have been informed
that it is easier and far cheaper to
make an arce produce 200 bushels Of
potatoes than $50 pounds of lint cot
ton, consequently the gross income
from an acre of potatoes would be
} $50, just double the price of the cot
tan irom the same land. But should
the yield of potatoes be only 100
bushels to the acre, we believe the
net profit would be greater than on
$50 pounds of cotton, because the
fertilizer bill would be less, the cost
Of cultivation would be less and the
cost of harvesting and marketing
would be less than for cotton.-Sum-
ter Watchman.