The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-03-25
State Commissioner Of Agricul-
ture McRae Tells Of Results
Of Years Of Study Of Crop.
STORAGE HOUSES
ARE NECESSITY
.Weevil, the Greatest Drawback,
is Being Successfully Combat
ted, Says Commissioner.

Tallahassee, March 24.--In discuss
ing wet weather and crop conditions
today Commissioner OF Agriculture w.
a. McRae, said:
THE fedenal department of agricul-
ture has been making a study for a
good nsany years Of a dozen >Or more
staple products and observation SHOWS
: that sweet potatoes, ordinarily con-
!. sidered perishabIe. leads all others In
dependability in yields
1t is only in the last couple OF years
that attention. has been given to this
standby among southerncrops as
marketable proposition. Under the
stimulus OF more food. feed and forage.
to win the war. the sweet potato crop
; last year was reported to run up to
one hundred million bushels in the
southern states. with prices ranging
from a dollar to a dollar and a half
bushel, in all making a large total
! value.
.The lack Of storage facilities and in
not knowing ho.' to preserve ana
market them, however, resulted in
loss aggregating millions OF dollars, u
sum lost in one season. sufficient "a
have provided storage houses in every
leading community in our state, and
among our neighbors of the southeast
in which the industry is largely linn
tied. Sweet potatoes, SO called, are
grown in the north, but of dry kind
and in no respect equal to the real
sweets Of the south. from which pies
and preserves am sugar can be made
besides being cooked for the table in
many palatable ways.
Potato Draws.
ut may interest you to learn" said
Mr.. McRae, that an important indus
try has been established in Leon coun-
ty in the growing Of sweet potato
draws. 1t began in small way about
ten years ago. and has already devei-
oped until last year 1t is estimated the
sales aggregated $4,000. the draws. or
sprouts having been marketed not only
in Florida. but many shipments were
made to growers in Georgia. Alabama
and South Carolina.
THE business is now well establish
ed in this county, with beds and
equipments representing perhaps two
hundred thousand dollars and not less
than 10000 bushels are bedded to
make draws for this seasons crops.
All the leading beds are provided with
Irrlgat1On, mostly u the ONCiAC"0
style.
THE leading growers are John AID
ridge, Mickler & Perkins. w. B. Crow
der and J. L. White. with a number OF
others who operate in smaller way.
and are able to market their output
direct to the larger growers who have
arranged marketing facilities. The
price last season averaged about -$1.25
per thousand draws and most of the
contracts this year average at that
price.
increase Shipments.
"More sweet potatoes were shipped
north last year than ever before and
brought good returns. An instance was
the shipment Of two cars from the
Girls Reform School at Ocala. The
output OF the farm was to have Aeen
disposed of locally. but at the last
minute the home buyers had all they
could handle. and the state marketing
bureau was appealed to. Sales were
effected In Chicago and Louisville and
brought something over $4,000, after
paying an excessive railroad freight
rate. Except for this action the whole