Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-06-10
TIE Heavenly Yam, a Bringer
Of Unbounded Prosperity.

John Falstaff once exclaimed in
exuberance of spirits. The fat
knight was not more enthusiastic than the
goodly company from divers parts of Geor-
gia and the South who gathered around an
Atlanta table Tuesday evening for a Sweet
Potato dinner Having devoted the morn
ing and afternoon to business sessions, the
chief object of which was to organize for
effectual marketing of the Dixie yam, these
delegates were apt for the feast awaiting
them. But it is doubtful that they, the
guests they graciously invited, were pre-
pared for so rich and varied a menu of
the toothsome tuber. A delicious, a defect
able revelation it was-a banquet that well
might have rained from the heavens, or
have been let down from the armament
sheet-wise to a particularly deserving saint.
They say that one hundred million bushels
of sweet potatoes were raised last season,
for the most part in the South. But if
even the fragments of such a dinner as
was prepared by the domestic science de-
partment Of the State College of Agricul-
ture and served to this convention could
once be tasted up and down the United
Sattes, one hundred million bushels would
not begin to supply the demand of a sin
gle region, much less of the entire coun-
try. Happily, the sweet potato is becoming
known to many and many a table in the
East and North and West which till but
lately knew little nothing of it's deli
ciousness and high nutritive value. The
larger and richer part of the market, how
ever, remains to be developed This will be
done when growers warehouse men and
dealers rightly organize to conserve their
common interests and to press forward the
popularity of the wonderful article
of food which Southern soil can produce
in well-nigh measureless abundance.
It was with this very end in view that
some one hundred and sixty men, repre-
senting eleven Southern States, convened
in Atlanta Tuesday and formed associa-
ton which, if good beginnings are borne
out, will prove as serviceable and as
widely important in its field as the Fruit
Exchange has in its own. In the days be-
fore the orchardists of Georgia organized
to meet by cooperation problems which
were overwhelming to the unsupported in
dividual, the States peach crop was of
minor account in the totals of commerce
and frequently quite proftless, if not
a heavy loss. But so soon we'll planned
and well coordinated methods were applied
to matters Of Grating, packing, shipping,
selling and to other phases of distribution,
losses began to grow less and profits larg-
er until today Georgia's is recognized ev-
erywhere being the best advertised the
best marketed and the most remunerative
peach crop in America. The same results
can be obtained for the sweet potato crop
if equally efficient methods are pursued
Thanks to the modern curing plant, there
IS no necessity OF any appreciate part of
the sweet potato yield spelling or deter
iorating, and need of it's being dumped
upon an over-stocked and 1ow-priced mar
ket. Furthermore, the canning plant can
take care of any residue which is not suit
able for storing. If, then, the growers and
others interested organize to avail them
selves of these opportunities and to develop
new markets, the sweet potato will become
one of the mainstays of Southern prosper
ity and will add millions of dollars to
Southern wealth.
Hence the farreaching import of Tues
days convention, with it's browning feast of
vans. The Georgia Association, the Geor-
gia Federation Of Farm Bureaus che At
lanta Chamber Of Commerce. the South
Carolina Development Company, the Lou
Islana State University Extension Depart
ment, the Tennessee ''Tri-County Associa-
ton of Sweet Potato Growers and all 9TH
ers, including many representatives of rail-
ways and manufacturers. who gave their
encouragement to this initial movement are
warmly to be commended They have pio-
neered the way toward a new empire of
agricultural treasure. They merit and I'M
doubtedly will receive, the hearty support
OF all who have a will to pull for the com
mon prosperity.