The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1917-06-05
SWEET POTATO STORAGE.
TENNESSEE GROWERS WHO RAISE HUNDREDS OF THOUSAND
BUSHELS PREVENT WASTE MODERN APPLIANCES
Harry B. Potter in Farm and Preside

My money crop for the last ten
years has been sweet potatoes" was
the answer w. r. Hawks of Weakley
county, Tennessee, gave me wnen
asked him how he liked farming.
And l knew from the twinkle in his
eyes that he was satisfied with the
result. Then he took me over his
place. He told how farms nearby
had, in three years time, come to
have more than a thousand acres in
sweet potatoes a year, and how the
farmers depend upon the local sweet
potato association to market their
crop.
Mr.. Hawks is secretary and sales
manager of the association. Ten
years ago he found himself without
much means. Legal difficulties took
from him all that he had, except
$500 and two mules. He found a
place on farm in Weakley county
where his family might live and
where he might work. He began to
raise sweet potatoes. 1t was not
! long until the place upon which he
had built storage house became his
to control.
'It has not been easy work by
any MEANS" said Mr.. Hawks. "Our
! neighbors saw me driving to town
quite frequently with my wagon bed
filled with potatoes. They knew that
had nothing when | started, and
that | had been buying land since
that time, and they were not slow in
putting two and two together. They
began to raise potatoes. In 1914
they began in earnest. Then there
were about 40 acres in sweet pota-
toes in the community; now there
are 1000 acres"
Storage Houses Insure Success.
Every grower has storage house,
for sweet potatoes require good stor-
age. The first house, built in 1904
on farm adjoining Mr.. Hawks, is
still standing, and is being used. 1t
holds $50 bushels 1t was large
enough in 1904, but conditions have
changed. The last house built holds
more than $4,000 bushels.
"Our storage houses are RESPONSE
BILE for much of our success" con-
tinued Mr.. Hawks "Sweet potatoes
must be handled like eggs and kept
at the right temperature if they are
to be put upon the market in good
condition. l have had a great deal
of experience in bedding and grow
ing the slips and setting out, but the
main thing is to dig the potatoes
properly and have them ready for
market in good condition.
"But let me begin at the begin
ming of our work and tell the rea-
sons for our marketing success in
the last three years." said Mr.. Hawks.
81 assume that you are not so much
interested in the growing of the crop
as you are in the methods that have
made it possible for us to get money
out of them after they are out of
the ground.
!
are not much different from those of
others. Our soil is just average. Rich
soil will not grow sweet potatoes
very well. In fact, much of the state
is not adapted to the growing of
the potato because the soil is too
fertile. Our clay soils are just right,
and we use the best methods we can
learn of to produce as many of the
best potatoes as any land will pro-
duce. We grow the Florida vans and
the Jersey sorts. Markets around
here like these kinds.
"And the storage houses on your
farms keep them until you are ready
to SELF" / inquired.
eyes, we have no trouble at all.
One member of our marketing asso-
citation who did not desire to sell un-
til he could get the high market price
sold for 35 cents a hushel more than
those who sold early.
"Our houses are not all alike.
Some men build one way and some
another. There are rs storage hous-
es in this neighborhood, each built
after the owners own idea, but all
| have closed roofs. The walls are dou-
BILE, made of ceiling lumber and filled
with sawdust. Every feature of the
building is intended to help keep the
potatoes from frost. We provide
plenty of ventilation and we use
fire at the right time.
when we commenced to house po-
tatoes we thought we had to have
them in small bins or one of two
bushel crates, but as time went on
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