The Parisian. (Paris, Tenn.) 1907-1962, 1920-01-16
POTATO GROWERS
SHIPPING TUBERS
Jump In Prices Last Week 10 cause
OF Heavy Movement Te The
Northern Markets.

Sweet Potatoes are moving in
Henry County. Although the wet
season at the harvesting period caus-
ed many growers heavy losses in the
fields, and later shrinkage of crop,
yet early diggeFs saved an 'apprecia-
bic proportion and are now COM
handing a fair price for their pro-
duce. The Henry County Sweet
Potato Growers Association has al.
ready shipped 40 cars, which before
the close of the season will aggregate
1875, besides many cars which indi-
vidual growers have shipped.
The shipments cover wide area
over the north, and east, and Ohio
Valley. The potatoes are shipped in
the standard 32-quart bushel hamper.
The market started this season at
about rs cents under last year, and
while steadily advancing has not
Within few cents yet reached last
years level. The highest price to
date on Henry County potatoes was
SO per bushel on two car loadE. The
present price is $l,70, and the low
est price has been $1.25.
In West Tennessee, the sweet po-
tato industry is booming and has
developed rapidly since 1918. Every
seaon> there is a larger demand for
the Southern sweet, as the excellent
eating qualities of the tuber are be-
coming more widely known. 1t seems
ridiculous to US that people over the
north and east do not recognize the
nutritious value of the sweet potato.
Many are readily learning to appre-
ciate the flavor Of a "baked YAM"
and to meet the demand, numerous
Henry County farmers are increasing
and expanding their curing plants and
are going heavy into the raising of
sweet potatoes.
The Nancy Hall variety is grown
exclusively in this section. 1t is a
better keeper, more uniform in size,
and not so tough in fiber as some
other varieties. 1t has been estima-
ted that nearly 1000 cars will be
distributed from the ten West Ten
nessee shipping points-Paris, Nc
Kcnzie, Gleason, Martin, Union City,
Greenfield, Dresden, Kenton, Sharon
and Huntingdon.
Growers here claim that Henry
County potatoes are Of a superior
quality and command premium on
all those in the market A buyer
here this week stated that there was
something different" in the soil OF
the county that gave the potatoes
grown here better flavor than those
grown either north or south. The
BLACK rot" which is to potatoes what
the boil weevil is to cotton and which
has seemed to hit Weakley county
and others heavily has as yet not
made it's appearance in our county.
The Nancy Hall is not grown north
of here.
Though the weather conditions this
season have been the worst with
which the growers and shippers have
ever had to contend, and though at
least ten percent Of the crop was lost,
yet those interested are encouraged
over the output and declare that it
will be the largest in five years. Most
of the growers have storage houses,
but this season, the old ice plant at
the L. & N has also been requisit-
toned as storage barn. The stock
being shipped is in good condition
as those stored in time have kept
nicely.
H. W. Hobby is secretary and
salesmanager of the Henry County
Sweet Potato Association and at
tends to all details of the shipments
made by that association. Some OF
the principal potato growers of Hen
ry County are Clint Williams, j. r.
Riley, j. H. Hancock, Mr.. Clements,
Y. R. Bomar, w. H. Clogs.