The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-01-27
STARCH FROM POTATOES,
CLEMSON AND FEDERAL AGEN.
CIES PROPOSE PLANT FOR
STATE.
industrial Chemists Meet Farmers and
business Men in Columbia Next
Monday-PrOject Already Tried Out
but ON Small Scale,

Columbia. Jan. 25.--The exten.
sion division Of Clemson college in
cooperation with the United States de.
partment Of agriculture has been
working for some time on the prob.
lem of finding markets for the differ
ent agricultural products of the State
realizing that it is absolutely neces.
sary to create greater markets if the
farmer is to practice diversifcation,
This was the object in urging the es-
tablishment Of the packing houses at
Orangeburg and Greenville, to provide
a market for hogs and beef cattle
and Indirectly for surplus hay anl
grain. The establishment OF the
cream routes was to develop the
dairying industry.
The creation of O market for sweet
potatoes. that would justify the farm
er in chanting large acreage, has
been more or less perplexing, as the
transportation of sweet potatoes to
the Northern markets is q hazardous
undertaking.
Clemson college some years ago,
under the direction Of the late M. B.
Hardin, one of the foremost chemists
In the country. took up the problem
Of working out the manufacturing of
starch from sweet potatoes and DR..
Hardin was ably assisted by Prof. C.
c. Mcdonnell. now in the bureau of
chemistry of the United States de-
partment Of agriculture. the late Prof.
+. 8. Shiver and later on by Prof. II.
u. Keitt. chemist Of Clemson college.
These chemists worked on this prob.
lem from the laboratory end and IN
order to establish the practicability Of
utilizing sweet potatoes for the man
ufactnre Of starch. small plant was
established at Clemson College,
through the cooperation of B. Rem
mers & Sons, chemical and consulting
engineers Of Philadelphia. The starch
from the sweet potatoes was used n
some Of the cotton mills of the State.
The experiments by the mills proved
very satisfactory.
The movement for a starch mill
has now been revived by w. w. Long,
director OF the farm demonstration
3orces.- and, a, s'aries Of conferences
with business men has been arranged
for the building up OF the new indus
try In South Carolina.
"A conference will be held in Co.
lumbia Msxt Monday. when the matter
OF erecting a sweet potato starch mill
VIII be discussed. b. Remmers, con-
sulting chemist, of Philadelphia, has
been invited to attend the confer
ence.
In bringing this proposition be-
fore the business men Of the State"
said Mr.. Long yesterday I want my
position clearly understood, that from
the laboratory and scientific end the
matter Of producing starch from
sweet potatoes has been clearly DEM
onstrated. Prof. #. E. Keitt, chem
ist Of the South Carolina experiment
station, and Mr.. B. Remmers, chemi-
cal and consulting engineer of Phil
adelphia. will attend the different
meetings that We propose to hold in
the State and In conference with the
business men. when the question of
the advisability and feasibility of es-
tablishing starch factories will be
taken up and discussed. These gentle
men will throw light on every angle
and 1t will rest with the business men
to determine whether the profits
that might be expected from the en-
terprise would justify them in erect
ing plant and whether they would be
able to pay the farmer a price for his
potatoes that would justify his grow
ing them"
The conference next Monday will,
be held at the Jefferson hotel. Busi-
ness men Of Columbia are invited.
conferences will also be held in Sum-
ter. Darlington and other points.
Starch made from sweet potatoes
was tested by several mills In 1906.
Ellison A. Smyth, president of the