The Savannah morning news., 1900-09-03
Preserving sweet Po,.,o..

In the past few weeks we have had eon-
siderable 10 say in reference 10 the sweet
potato marvellng that the crop was so
much neglected and regretting that we
were unable TO find for the tubers a profit
able market. ssys the Florida Agricultur-
Isl. We ascribed the reason for the last
trouble IN the excessive freight rates Al
though we can grow sweet potatoes about
as cheaply as anything. after they are
harvested they remain a dead weight on
the growers hands. 80 far as money is
concerned. Certainly the potatoes can be
TED 10 the hogs and stock al some profit %
ihe grower, but what we should have for
the potato IL a cash return.
experiments proving more or less sue
cessiui have been conducted In the South
IN me matter OF canning and preserving
sweet potatoes. II might be possth.e that
u the potato was canned Il might be mar
hetea IN the North al a fair profit in the
same way that the abundant pumpkin \
put up and sold to consumers. Several
years ago factory In Mississlppi Was "a
tabished for the purpose OF canning no
tatoes. The FIRST season a operated 0o
bushels were put up in three pound cans
lnese sold readily in the Chicago market
M - cents per dozen. A bushel OF sweet
potatoes nlied nfteen cans. The farmers
=
dehVered NJ the factory The following
year the firm expected TO put nm sooo
bushes but we have not heard the ultI-
mate success OF the undertaking.
during the late years OF the war h.
tween the states "A resident Of Georgia
invented a process OF compresslne Inc
sweet potato after cooking. In which
shope Il could be kept an Indefinite tIme
considerable quantity OF this material
was used by the Confederate army. form
ing IN some cases a large portion AZ H.
food supply. The process OF preserv,ng
potatoes in some sections OF the south
where the climate changes were 40 -s,,d.
den and extreme as 10 prevent the keen
ing OF the roots In their natural stafe
Feasible. was 10 slice the raw potato and
then thoroughly dry II either In the sun
or In improvised evaporatorE when
these potatoes were to he used for the
table they we're hrst soaked In the same
manner as dried fruit and then balea
or cooked according to taste. Dried sweet
potatoes from japan were exhibited among
the products from Japan at the worIa,s
Fair Their method OF preparing then,
Is described as follows: Cleanly washed
potatoes are placed IN n suita Die basket
and Immersed In boiling water Tor a
short time: when taken out OF the haske,
they are cut into thin slices and enread
over mats and exposed TO the sun Tor
three or four days. when a superior oual-
iiy Of dzed production IL desired the skin
Is removed from the potatoes before sllc-
ing.
Like the peanut. the tops, or vines Of
the potato are also valuable for hev An
analysis OF potato vine hay shows thai
Il r. particularly Identical In chemical
composition with the old reliable cow,ea
nay. me Feeding value OF which We are
all fully cognlzant
The cost OF producing potatoes varies
largely In different sections In New Ter.
sey. Delaware and the Underwater conn
ties Of Virginia the cost is given al ab,,t,
S2l per acre. less fertilizer ana rent, In
the states Of Alabama. Georgia ana Mis-.
sisslppi tho expenses Is estimated al sls e.
In Florida we believe the expsnse Would
be considerably less. Arkansas claims 10
be able to raise potatoes al a cost rang
ing from 10 Is cents per bushel. this An.
Guides harvesting The cost OF production
In Illinois and Georgia IS given at % cents
per bushel