Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-06-14
FOOD VALUE OF SWEET POTATOES

the possibilities of the sweet potato and
its value as a food crop for man and
beast. In this connection the Jackson
VILE fla Real Estate Board has is
sued bulletin pointing out how this
perishable food crop can be turned in
to staple product which will keep
for months and ship long distances.
and by proper curing, warehousing
and marketing of the Southern sweet
potato and yam and the manufacturing
of culls and surplus into by-products
this crop can be successfully handled
commercially, from which the follow
ing statements are gathered:
Even now the sweet potato is claim
ed to be the second most important
truck in the United States, being ex-
eeeded only by the Irish potato.
Investigation has shown that the
sweet potato crop is not handled prop
erly, for it is estimated that about one
half of the amount stored is lost by
decay. This loss reaches probably
$1000000 annually in the eight South :
ern coast States south of Virginia,
which produce probably four-ffths of
all the sweet potatoes and vans raised
i the United States. In one state al
one it is estimated that over 100000
bushels are permitted to decay and
rot yearly because of the method of
storing in outdoor earth banks or
hills.
Specially constructed warehouses for
curing and storing the sweet potato
and yam would practically eliminate
this loss, which is very serious one
in these times, when everyone is trying
to conserve the food supply of the
country. The bulletin points out that
this suggestion is not a theory, but an
accomplished fact, as such warehouses
have been in use for years in various
parts of the country. The United
States Department of Agriculture
states that it has record of 100000
bushels thus stored for period of 124
days with loss of only 2.45 per cent,
and that refers to a collection of wide
lily scattered storage houses operated
by different men under varying condi-
tons.
In addition to community or great
central storage warehouses and can
ming and drying plants, small ware
houses for curing and storing sweet
potatoes can be constructed at a
nominal cost by the farmers. The
building may be of frame construction,
sheathed on the inside with building
paper and board ceiling nailed to thu
studs. A temperature from 80 to SIS
degrees is maintained for 10 days or
two weeks for the purpose of curing
the sweet potatoes and yams, and after
curing an average temperature of So
degrees should be maintained; il
should not rise above so nor go be-
low As degrees. Ventilatiors are pro-
vided in the roof for carrying out the
moisture, and through which the TEN
perature is kept to 55 degrees after
curing.
The by-products manufactured from
sweet potatoes offer a broad field for
development 1t is said the culls from
potatoes can now be manufactured in
to seven different products. They may
be canned or dried, like dried apples
they may be ground into -four, or des.
sicated, or they may be converted into
denatured alcohol. starch or commerc.
ial stock feed, and large amount Of
sugar is also available.
/ When the sweet potato crop is frs
dug, large quantities are rushed t.
markets by the farmers, resulting in E
depression of prices, and at such times
the supply needed for manufacturing
can be secured in the open market.
Uncooked sweet potatoes may BIZ
el;aod ou5 %bo~. dr;od o;tLa,~