Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-04-10
BETTER THAN COTTON.

Mr.. ]. B. Adkins, who lives on the
Charlotte road, about six miles from
Yorkville. may fairly be taken as an
ideal type Of the Independent small
farmer who, though not rich, always
has money sufficient for all reasonable
needs, and who is never in debt no
matter what may be the price Of cot
ton. Mr.. Adkins is not a cotton farm
er. He rather goes in for variety, and
his speciality is sweet potatoes, in the
raising Of which, according to reputa
tion far and wide, he Is an expert.
Mr.. Adkins was in Yorkville Monday
on business, and during the morning
sold about 20 bushels Of potatoes to be
delivered the next day at a dollar
bushel. His errand brought him into
THE ENQUIRER office, and the reporter
seized the opportunity to interview him
on the potato question. Mr.. Adkins is
not only farmer Of experience; but he
is something of philosopher and quite
an interesting talker.
Yes, raise some potatoes" he said.
My crop amounted to about 800 BUSH
els last year, and If this town was just
large enough to warrant it, I could
easily raise a thousand bushels. I do
not know Of a crop that can be raised
more easily. more profltably, or with
less injury to the land. Why, in my
opinion, there is nothing like potatoes.
1 feed my hogs on them, my cows on
them, and my work stock on them. and
/ sell lots Of them at from IS cents to
a dollar a bushel. The price at dig
ging time was rs cents. 1t is dollar
now, and it will be no less between now
and the next CROP"
How many potatoes can you raise
on an acre?" the reporter asked.
well, 1 do not like to try to answer
that question definitely. I can raise
from $50 to 200 bushels on ordinary
land, with fair seasons; but with land
brought up for the purpose and favora
BILE seasons. there is no telling how
many bushels a man could raise"
"Well, how many bushels Of potatoes
dc you think you ought to get off Of
land that will yield ten bushels of corn
to the acre?"
mot less than $50 bushels; maybe
more than that"
And off Of an acre that will pro-
duce a bale Of cotton?"
Three hundred bushels easy, and
more"
You say you always find ready sale
for your potatoes"
Always. I could get rid Of them
much quicker than do If l would try
to. I never bother much about that.
People come to my house after them
and pay a dollar bushel at the hack,
and they are glad.to get them at that.
Sometimes 1 come to Yorkville and en-
gage q few bushels without difficulty;
but l am never anxious about sales. 1t
does rot make much difference wheth-
er 1 sell or not, because you know they
are mighty good feed for stock. But
OF course 1 do not like to feed pota-
toes that are worth dollar buShel
as a substitute for corn that is worth
only about 60 cents.
What do you think it costs to raise
potatoes?"
81 do not know certainly, but I would
say about 25 cents a bushel."
Then if other people would go into
it as you do, the dollar bushel price
would soon be thing of the past"
mo, l do not think that" said Mr..
Adkins, land I'll tell you why. The
people of this county are never going to
produce and keep through the winter
enough potatoes to bring the price
much below one dollar a bushel in the
spring They are not careful enough
and they won't give the matter enough
attention. A man may put his pota-
toes up all right and save then
through the winter; but either himself
or somebody that he sends to the hacl
will carelessly leave 1t open or only
partially closed and allow all the pota