Evening star., 1901-05-31

to minimum when farmers organize and
sell through a common agent This truth
is Illustrated in the history of a produce
exchange on the eastern shore Of Vir-
ginia. The two counties of the eastern
shore of Virginia 4roduce large quaptities
Of sweet potatoes. Before the formation OF
the exchange the crop was put up in
careless way, without grading. and sold
without inspection. The prices obtained
were necessarily very low, and the whole
business was unsatisfactory in the ex-
treme. The exchange was organized with
central office and management, and with
subagents at all principal shipping points
in the two counties, the subagents having
connection by telephone with the central
office A system of inspectio~ was adopted,
produce was graded, disho,. sellers were
excluded. favorable arrangements were
made with transportation companies, cor
respondence was opened with reliable
commission houses. market reports We're
received by telegraph. and business pfinci-
pies We're applied generally. In less than
two years a good degree of order has taken
the place of former chaos. In other parts
of Virginia. in North Carolina and in some
of the best sweet potato sections of Mary
land the old careless ways prevail. with
results that must be exceedingly unsatis-
factory to growers.
The sweet potato is tropical or sub
tropical plant. Where frost never comes it
is perennial, and the question of storing
does not enter. In nearly ali parts of the
United States it must be treated as an eX-
QUO. ana WnSn the winters are long ana
severe the question of storing the tubers
becomes very important. In sections where
frosts never penetrate the ground more
than a few inches. sweet potatoes are
stored in mounds on well-drained land and
covered with leaves. straw corn stalks,
and, cold weather approaches, blanket
of earth is added. A temporary roof of
boards is sometimes placed over the mounds
to shed the rain. In some places low huts
built of logs and slabs and covered
with earth. These methods primitive
and unsatisfactory, and when losses are
considered they are expensive. They are
still commonly practical south of the Poto-
mac river, though some of the more enter
prising growers are adopting notifications
of the methods now employed in Maryland.
Delaware, New Jersey, the eastern shore OF
Virginia and other sections where sweet
potatoes are stored in large quantities for
winter and spring markets. In the south
ern Piedmont region sweet potatoes are
sometimes stored in caves. natural or ar
tificial. and with good results. These meth
DDS have been in in the south for gen.
erations without essential change
In what may be called the commercial
sweet potato belt the methods of storing
have been revolutionized within thirty
years Before the civil war the northern
cities had no regular supply of sweet po-
tatoes, and with the methods of storing
then followed such a supply would not
have been practicable. Whether the adop-
tion Of better methods of storing is the
cause or a result of a greatly increased
demand for sweet potatoes is not import
ant. 1t is sufficient to note that with i'm
proved methods Of storing there is more
uniform supply and a larger demand.