Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-10-16
STORING SW EFT POTATOES

Having produced large amount OF
certain kinds of crops, it is now up TO
the grower to so market, store or handle
the crop as to insure a profitable return
TO himself and an adequate supply OF
food for the consumer. Many crops can
be stored for a given length of time
with slight deterioration. Othen crops,
however. are of a semiperishable ma
ture and so must be handled with n
good deal of skill in order 10 preserve
them for use during the fall and win
ter. These suggestions apply with spe-
cial merit to the sweet potato crop,
which must now be regarded as one
of our important food crops. Its Vatue
will be greater in the eyes of our peo-
pie this fall and winter than ever oe-
fore, because of the food substitution
the,, will be asked to make in order to
meet the requirements of the United
States food administration. If we arc
to save the heat and energy producing
foods we must have something satls-
factory to substitute therefor. sweet
potatoes. for instance. contain g per
cent of digestible protein, 24.2 per cent
Of digestible carbohydrate and 3 per
cent of fat. They are thus chiefly
heat and energy producing food, and so
should be used in the diet for this pur-
pose. They constitute one of our most
valuable vegetables, because with prop
er care and handling they can be kept
for several months. and so made to take
the place, for instance, of irish pota-
toes. Irish potatoes are not grown as
extensively in the southeastern states
as in some other sections of the coun-
try. but the sweet potato, which thrives
wonderfully we'll in this section, is more
abundant than ever before, and II should
be used as largely as possible TO re-
ii that account.
The sweet potato is an important as
set in the family dietary because IL
can be used in so many ways, each
method of preparing it seeming TO De
more appetizing and desirable than the
one previously used. The sweet potato
must, therefore. be regarded as one OF
our great standard food crops, and our
ability to conserve food and to econo-
mize i'm the expenditure of money and
provide a wholesome and desirable
dietary for the family will be measured
in a considerable degree by the success
with which we are able to harvest and
preserve this crop so that the amount
of it needed in any given month until
the new crop comes in may be made
available to the consuming public.
In the state of Georgia, for instance.
the problem of storing sweet potatoes
is acute. for We have produced about 40
per cent more of them than we ever
grew before. Apparently, the effort to
take care of this crop which its impor-
lance merits is not being put forth, and
there is a great danger that large per
cent of the potatoes, now they have been
grown, may be lost through improper
harvesting and storing. Moreover, there
are a large number of persons who have
grown sweet potatoes this year for the
first time They may not be familiar
with the process of handling and pre-
serving the crop which has been follow
ed with considerable skill and success
by experienced growers in other years.
The best way of storing potatoes, OF
course, is by a house or kiln which en-
abIes the owner to dry out the surplus
moisture These houses, of course, cost
considerable to build and therefore are
not practical for use where only few
bushels of potatoes are to be stored.
Those who desire plans for the construc-
tioa of houses holding from hundred
bushels up to several thousand can Sc
cure them free OF cost from the state
College of Agriculture. Hundreds or
these plans have been distributed in
Georgia this year and large number or
potato houses have been built on good
sized farms and plantations and by Varl-