The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1915-04-09
SOUTHERN SWEET POTATOES
FOR NORTHERN MARKETS.
Former South C.r0linian Long Time
a Resident in New Jersey Sees
an Opportunity.


supplying South Carolina raised sweet
LoLatoes to the Northern markets is
sent to the Columbia State:
Tne letter of P. H. MCGOWAN which
appeared in your paper of Marc 80
relative to the importance t2at can
be given to the sweet potato crop by
Southern farmers is most timely and
should be productive of much good.
My experience in the North for the
last decade or more has impressed one
fact on my mind, namely, that the
sweet potato, andled by the Southern
.armer in the proper way possesses
great possibilities. Not only may the
South be supplied with this important
article of food, but the North and West
as we'll.
Southern farmers have not realized
t3at t. Northern centers are large
and consume vast quantities of all
sorts Of food. Up here the people are
able to buy and do buy-they live we'll.
There is a market for what Southern
farmers should know how to grow
to advantage, as vel! as for the out
put of new industries. For example,
the wholesale price OF sweet potatoes
in t is city is SITS bus2el. During
the winter it was $1.75 bushel.
There are no Southern potatoes on
the market; those to be had are Ger
sey"
This high price is not due to a mar
ket that is isolated; We are on tie
main line of tie Pennsylvania railroad,
where freight facilities are excellent.
The trouble is with the raisers of the
crop.
If the Southern farmers would learn
lesson in co-operatiye farming from
the Danes, for example they could be-
come tie most powerful factor in the
economic life of tie nation.
About two decades ago there was an
agricultural crisis in Denmark Rails
ing grain became Improbable. The
Danish farmer became of much con-
cern to the government and national
aid was thought advisable. But the
farmers get together and said, "No,
We do not want Tat, we ca1 take care
of ourselves"
Out of this determination came Den
marks prosperity. Agriculture, to a
great extent, was changed for dairy
ing. II at resolution of self-dependence
and the adaptation to new conditions
is bright page in the history of that
! little country.
It seems tnat change is going to
be imperative in the mode of SoutA
ern farming.
Cooperative farming and marketing
! is waiting to bring its blessings TO
f ose who Will practice it. The rails
ing OF sweet potatoes not only for the
home market, but for those of the
North and West is one phase of this
activity taat will be easy to make a
success. Everything is favorable to
producing such a crop in the South,
T e season there is long; labor is not
so high as farther North, and the po-
tatoes are superior. Invent way to
get the crop to the consumer at the
proper time and the problem will be
solved Hence cooperative effort.
One day last summer the writer was
seated at a dinner table at the Win
throp college summer scf:ool with sew
eral teachers, among whom was man
from New Jersey. There was fine
dish of canned sweet potatoes on the
table. The remark was ventured that
they came from Vineland, in New Jer-
sey. The diners, including the man
from New Jersey, did not think it in
tie realm of possibility that potatoes
would be shipped from New Jersey to
South Carolina It would be like the
proverbial taking of Goals to New
castle. However, t1e empty cans were
looked up and, indeed, the potatoes
had been packed is Vineland. OF
course, if none were on the market
but Jersey potatoes, then they were
the only ones to be had. Here is only
one example of many to illustrate the
same point: WY should not the South
have been selling potatoes to the North
instead of buying them from that Sec
ton?
Again, what an opportunity for those
living in the lower part Of the State
to create an industry in figs! There
is nothing more delicious than figs