The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1920-12-25

SWEET POTATOES
Dining Cars Will Serve Them to
Tourists

FlOrence, Dec. 20.-The southern
sweet potato, or yam, seems on the
verge Of coming into it's own under a
plan of advertising and introduction
which has been adopted by the Sea-
board Air Line and the Atlantic Coast
Line railroad who are now using
it on their dining cars. G.. A. Card
well, Of Wilmington, y. G., agricultur-
al and industrial agent OF the Atlantic
Coast Line railroad, announced here
today while in the city on business.
superintendent of the dining car ser
vices of both OF these lines have order
ed generous supplies OF Porto Ricos,"
Nancy Halls" and other well known
commercial strains Of the southern
edible ON their cars.
These potatoes will be served es-
pecially on the diners on the main
lines, north and south, where they
may be introduced first hand to the
thousands OF tourists who annually
| traverse these roads and patronize
these diners. Already, the southern
yams are procurable Oh the Atlantic
Coast Line diners, travellers report on
arriving here after having scanned the
menu of the dining cars.
Objection to using the southern
yam on the diners was found first by
the superintendents on the ground
that the northern tourists would de-
! mand the dry Jersey and New Eng
land yam instead Of the sweet juicy
southern yam. Mr.. Cardwell was able
| to convince them that the southern
| varieties are worth trial, and this in
uoductory effort is due largely to his
personal interest and persistence.
| II. b. Young, of Florence, who is
secretary Of the South Carolina Sweet
Potato Growers association, has civ
en- much time and attention in this
direction also. He is one Of the pio-
neers in the promotion OF the sweet
potato industry in South Carolina.
With his associates, he has built in
Florence and Timmonsville two 90.
| 900 bushel sweet potato curing and
storing houses, which will prove an
Immense impetus TO the industry in
this territory.
| The potential value Of this method
OF direct introduction can hardly be
estimated, in the opinion of leaders ot
the sweet potato industry in South
Carolina. In the first place, as Mr.
CardwelI believes, the southern yam
will be prepared, where the typica
southern style and receipts are know
and employed. Then it will be serv.
ed in the southern atmosphere and
with the proper other dishes It viii
be expected in the south and this ex.
pectation will be supplied. Finally
1t will reach directly hundreds OF
thousands of potential consumers il
a territory which the southern yam
has never been able to get into ans
will educate them to it's superiority
The chances for the success of thi
Introductory effort are very great, MIR
cardwell believes. Hundreds o.
thousands Of northern travellers, VIII,
have spent the winters in Florida
have become acquainted with th'
southern varieties OF the yam ant
have acquired a fondness for tn,
candy-iike southern sweet potato
Such persons will he pleased TO fint
this real southern article on the mem
when they go into the diners OF
their trip north or+south. Also the!
will enjoy interesting their friend
WllO may nO
know the southern sweet potato. il
this new dish.
If the venture proves the success
that Mr. Cardwell, Mr.. Young, ant
others, believe II will, it will mean I:
tremendous imeptus for the southern
sweet potato industry. as anyone ma,
readily see. 1t will open market
In territory which has been closet
to the southern sweet potato for man,
years.
/ Very likely steps will be taken fur
ther by the Sweet Potato Associa ton:
OF the southern states: to populariz,
the venture by ans extensive adver
tising system. This may consist Of at
tractive brochures for distribution or
the diners, at the railroad ticket of
fees, and other places to interest tour
lists in trying the southern potato