The Nevada County picayune., 1919-11-06
EXTENSION
 NOTES
The Sweet Potato Situation.

l dnu idElH dfiilndfS. II We were uc- prived of it. we would certainly ap- preciate it much more than we now do The farmers have had to contend with a serious an ddifficula situation this fall, and if we had some way of check ing up the losses that have been sus- tained in hay, peas, corn and cotton, and some other minor things. the az gregate money value would present T staggering total.
 A great many farmers have grown more sweet pota soes than usual this season. and the losses from this one crop alone will run up into hundreds of thousands of dollars taking the country as whole. However. the sweet potato crop is not entirely lost, and, in many instances, there is prac tically no damage at all The ques- ton now is to save the potatoes. At the present time they are not worth very much on the market-that is green potatoes ar not-but, there is going to be a serious shortage, and by next spring. prices are going to be high | The weather seems now to he clear ing up, and we would like to offer Il few suggestions relative to conserving the sweet potato crop, or what is left of 1t. In the first place. the vines should be cut away from the pota toes and either drawn to the middle of the rows or removed entirely from the field. so as to permit the soil to air out as much as possible before the potatoes are harvested. In the event of a kill ing frost this would be necessary at once to save the crop from lOss When potatoes should be harvested, and, if the weather is bright and windy, and there is no immediate danger of a freeze, the potatoes should be left out for a couple of days, so as to allow the excess moisture to get away. of course, where the farmer has curing house. the potatoes should be stored in these houses as fast as harvested, and the fires started so as to begin drying the potatoes at once. and the fact should be borne in mind by every one that the potatoes are full of water and will require more heat and q longer time to dry than usual
 If no curing house is available the farmer will have to resort to other means of keeping the potatoes. This will not be difficult matter if we have open weather and the potatoes are prop erly handled but. if rains continue il will he very difficult, if not imposs- ible undertaking to save the crop in the absence of a curing house. Provid ing we have clear weather the potatoes wind that is possible after harvesting, and then they should he banked under an open shed. These banks should noy be very large-not more than 15 bush els to the bank-and they should not he covered with anything more than about six inches of dry straw for the first week or ten days. but. they should he placed under the shed at once. The straw covering will take up the mois ture from the potatoes. and being eX- posed to the air. the moisture is readily freezing weathere the banks should be protected with about six inches of dry soil. with very small opening at the top for the escape of moisture that nat urally accumulates in the heap of po- tatoes This method is the best for keeping seed potatoes and surplus for market next spring. as these banks should not be broken up or disturbed in any way until ready to move the en- tire lot of potatoes. Potatoes required for eating from day to day can be kept in cellar, provided it is dry and dark and can be made proof against frost. I After all is said and done, the old methods of keeping sweet potatoes are uncertain and cannot be depended on. A properly constructed curing and stor age house. however small, is rhe only dependable way of keeping a crop of sweet potatoes.
 The sweet potato industry i'll the South and Arkansas in particular. k making rapid strides towards better things. Sweet Potato Exchange has recently been organized in Arkansas with headquarters at Little Rock. This Exchange is governed by board of directors elected by the affiliated local associations, and the board of direc- tors have elected selling agency, and the machinery is now in operation. Lo- cal associations uniting with the EX change will be charged fee of one dollar per member. and a small percent age charge will be levied against all