The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-01-18
SWEET POTATO IS
IMPORTANT FOOD IN
SOUTHERN STATES
Is One of the Five Greatest
Commercial Truck
Crops
HOW TO GROW AND
MARKET TUBER
Southern Farmers Should Provide
Adequate Storage Facilities and
Hold Potatoes Until After
Digging Time
Ry c. r. sTEMARr

BY c. r. STEWART
washington, January 17.-(Special.).-
Each year the sweet potato is becoming
of greater importance as a commercial
truck crop In the United States. During
long period it has formed one of the
principal sources of food for the people
of the southern states and tropical Amer
lea. As commercial truck crop the
sweet potato would be included among
the five OF greatest Importance, ranking
perhaps about third III the list. As food
for the great mass of people living in the
warmer portions of our country the use of
this crop is exceeded only by hominy and
rice. The larger cities of the eastern
United States are well supplied with
sweet potatoes during a considerable por-
ton OF the year. but no provision has yet
been made for many of the markets of
the extreme north and northwest
The sweet potato is especially ADAPTED
for growing on thin, sandy, cut over tim
Der lands of the south; in fact, the po-
tatoes grown on this character of soil
are more uniform In size and shape and
keep better than those grown upon the
richer alluvial soils. A great opportunity
is afforded the farmers of this region to
develop the sweet potato industry, de-
pending upon the Rocky mountain and
great plains area for a market.
Storage Facilities Necessary
Sweet potatoes can be marketed to
greater advantage when storage facilities
are provided Growers who do not have
suitable storage facilities are compelled
to sell their sweet potatoes for low price
at digging time. while comparatively high
prices prevail during the remainder of
the year.
The proper keeping of sweet potatoes
requires that thoy be well grown and
thoroughly ripened; free from disease;
carefully handled in digging and storing,
and stored in dry, well ventilated place.
where proper temperatures can be MAIN
tanned.
The first essential is met by growing the
sweet potatoes on land adapted to the
crop and giving good cultivation
The second essential, freedom from dis /.
ease, requires the careful selection of seed
potatoes, the nse of new soil in the plant
bed each year, and the following of crop
rotation in the field, so that sweet pota-
toes will not be planted on the same land
oftener than once In three years. One of
the best ways to keep the crop free from
disease is to grow the seed stock from
vine cuttings planted on land where sweet
potatoes have not been grown for several
years. Diseased and decayed potatoes
should not be thrown on the land where
the crop is to be grown. A safer plan
would be to burn all infected potatoes and
refuse.
Padded Baskets and Wagons
The third essential lies in the care ex-
ci cised in handling the potatoes at the
time of digging and storing. Padded bas-
kets and wagons with easy springs are
recommended for use in Transporting them
from the field to the storage house.
The fourth essential, proper storage fa-
cilities. may easily be provided on almost
any farm in the south. especially where
lumber is cheap and wood or other fuel
abundant. The farmers OF the SOUTH who
as rule grow only few acres of sweet
potatoes, follow the practice of storing
them in pits or banks. When free from
disease at the time of storing this method
has proved fairly successful for keeping
the hardy varieties of potatoes commonly
grown in the southern states, but the
more delicate Jersey type. which is in de-
msnd in the northern markets, cannot
be successfully stored in this way. There
is no difficulty, however, in keeping sweet
potatoes if they are free from disease,
carefully handled and stored under proper
conditions.
Two or three types of sweet potato stor-
age houses are used by growers in the
northern part Of the sweet potato region.
One consists of building which is con-
structed entirely above ground and is
provided with double walls, plank, con-
crete or earth floor bins for holding the
stored potatoes, and suitable heating and
ventilating facilities.
Another type of storage used by grow
ers IN New Jersey, consists of base
ment under the dwelling itself or under
an outbuilding, but only part way under
ground and provided with plenty of NsAz
dCws for ventilation. A basement storas1
must be dry to Insure the keeping OF the
potatoes, and it is doubtful IL this type
would prove satisfactory in the gulf coast
states The method of heating is with a
good wood or coal stove. 1t is best to
place the potatoes in bins. rather than
on the floor. And the main requisite Is
the securing OF warmth at all times and
reedom from nloisture
Cause of Low Prices
As before stated, one reason why the
southern farmers have not received more
for their sweet potatoes is that they have
not followed the proper methods in mar
keting the crop. Frequently the potatoes
are rot only damaged in digging, but are
put in bags or rough barrels without
proper grading and rusned to market at
a time when there is an oversupply. Low
prices are the result. The secret of Sc
crring high prices for any perishable
farm product is 10 properly grade, clean
and pack 1t and to place IL upon the
market at time when there Is the great
cts demand eor It, The period for the
greatest demand for the sweet potato is
from September ! to April j, and the
highest prices usually prevail from the
middle of December until March /. To
obtain the best prices it is necessary to
have facilities for storing the crop from
one to five months after harvesting.
With the land peculiarly adapted to the
cultivation of .he sweet potato, and
constant and growing demand for the
crop in the north and west where the
markets have not been sufficiently sup
piled, there is every inducement for the
southern farmers to adopt improved cul-
tura1 and storage methods and make the
sweet potato a more important money
crop. There is no danger of an over-pro-
d,,ction-the demand has never been met