Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1920-03-04

age of sugar, which is causing the
people of the United States much in
convenience and seriously injuring the
business of manufacturers of soft
drinks, candies, confections and other
lawful Industries; and
Whereas it is the duty of the gov
eminent to exercise all of its powers
TO legitimate business and contrib
ute 10 the comfort and necessities of
its citizens; and
Nv hereas sweet potatoes can and
will be grown in large quantities at
small expense in the southern part of
continental United States, if steady
commercial demand is established for
them; and
Whereas sweet potatoes contain 10
per centum of sugar, much starch,
glucose and dextrin, all useful COM
mercial commodities, which, if pro
duced in large quantities at an eco
nomical cost, will tend to reduce the
high cost of living: Therefore be it
Resolved by the Senate and House
of Representative of the United
States of America in Congress assem-
bled, That the sum of 100000, or
so much thereof as may be necessary,
IS hereby appropriated, out of any
money in the Treasury of the United
States not otherwise appropriated, to
be Immediately available, to enable
the Secretary of Agriculture to con-
duct thorough Investigations and ex-
periments with a view to ascertaining
if it be possible to establish a profit
able commercial industry for the man
ufacture of sugar, strip, starch, glu-
cose, and deXtrin from sweet pota-
toes"
Compared With Sugar Beet.
Before introducing the resolution,
| talked with DR.. Alsberg, chief of
the bureau of chemistry, who advised
me that sweet potatoes contain about
10 per cent of cane sugar. l think
that was about as much sugar as the
sugar beet originally contained before
it was developed. The sugar beet has
now about IA or Is per cent OF su-
gar.
The sweet potato contains many
other properties which, l hope, are
capable of being developed into a
commercial industry. DR.. Asblerg
stated to me that he was very much
interested in the development of the
sweet potato that from past expert
ments he thought splendid table sy-
rup could be made from it; that it
contained more starch than the white
potato; and he thought i very proba-
BILE that a starch industry could be
developed from the sweet potato He
further stated that the sweet potato
contains an adhesive known as dextrin
which was necessary for the mucilage
used by the government on postage
and revenue stamps, the deXtrin used
in this country now being imported.
Judging from my conversation with
him, it was his opinion that some APP
preparation for this service Rculd be
well expended, and he thought there
was great likelihood that fine com
mercial industry could he established
as a result of experimentation along
these lines.
DR.. Alsberg recently appeared be-
fore this committee. | have just read
his testimony, which has not yet been
printed; put l ask the committee,
when it is printed, to do me the kind
ness to read DR.. Alsberg's testimony
on this proposition.
| would like to read also to the
committee a letter that l received
from the horticulturalist of the South
ern Railroad Development service
You understand, of course, that all
these great railroad lines are very
much interested in developing agri-
culture in the sections along their
lines; and this is from the horticul-
turalist of one of the big railroad
lines in the South. The letter ad.
dressed to me is as follows:
81 note with deep interest the reso-
luton you have offered providing for
an investigation Of the various posi-