The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1920-01-29
MARKETING SWEET
POTATOES, ETC.
, CAREFUL HANDLING, CCRiNu,
uItAJlNU, AND SlCD1 VI
.uAKnEI NECESSARY.


depends on several factors. one oi
tho more important OF which Is the
growing in marketable quantities. b5
this We mean that We should not gro"
small lots, depending too much on
our home markets, all Of which are 10
Gated in a sweet potato section ano
are being supplied at digging time
from the curb. II we have less than
q carload Of sweet potatoes and are
able to get q good price for these on
eur local market, We should CONSIDER
ourselves very fortunate and at the
same time think of this As an accident
The above applies to the markets
At harvesting time rather than during
tho winter months, when one tnlro
Of the sweet potatoes grown have 90
eayed from lack Of suitable storage
facilities. Oftentimes the Division OF
Markets Of the Clemson College E1
tension Service is asked to find mar
ket for 7S or 100 bushels OF sweet po
tatoes near some glutted market but
some distance from An open market
II becomes an expensive proposition
to ship these potatoes, and handling
and exposure given them when sent
in local lots by freight make their
movement by freight impossible. But
from the same point It may be very
easy task to move two or more ear.
loads Of sweet potatoes to some large
market center or coal mining or mill.
ing center.
When all said, it 10 not the quantity
to be marketed that should receive
the greater part Of our attention
Though we should focus oxr eyes
on quantity for a tins), because when
We begin growing for markets other
than our curb markets We must nso-
essartiy give more attention to tho
handling and grading of our sweet
potatoes. A consignment OF sweet
potatoes that reaches its market dos.
tinstion showing signs Of bad handling
never commands the top market price.
On the other hand, potatoes careful.
" handled will always receive
ready sale at prices that will more
than pay for the extra time and labor
expended in careful handling. This
handling process begins at harvesting
time and ends when the potatoes
reach the consumer.
Through careless handling AID stor.
ing Of sweet potatoes We have been
losing from 80 to 70 per cont OF the
orop grown each year. The crop is
now becoming OF commercial tmpor-
tares and Will be extensively cult.
vatsd In the sections Of the state
invaded by the Mexican boil weevil;
and all whs intend to grow sweet
potatoes for the market should build
sufficient storage houses and provide
the best means Of handling this now
important crop for market.
While the production of the sweet
potato has increased during the past
few years, many new markets have
opened up and Thousands Of people
are becoming better acquainted with
tho southern grown sweet potato. No
limit as to market has bsea reached
yet and at thh time . number Of
sweet potato dealers aad frxit and
vsGstahh marketing associations are
doing mech - advertise the seuth.
ern sweet potato sad increase the
eonssa9tSsa Of this product. The
crop IN sf psrishable nature, -
stated above, n net handled properly,
and snly recently has 1t been given
the proper handbag which enables 1t
70 b thrown o. distant markets.
This stsry n told Of the frst ear.
LOAD Of Nancy Hall sweet potatoes
that reached Columbus, Ohio, about
four years age thu ugh mistake: A
certain dealer in that city had been
handling a dry. mealy sweet potato
grown IN . COLDER section Of the
county, not az well adapted ~ this
section to the growing OF the sweet
potato, aAd through a commission
nrm in the East they had asked for
car or these ofy sweet POTATOES. las
commission house instead. by mistake,
sent a carload Of the neA favored,
juisy Nancy Han variety fron aeer-
sis. when the dealer discovered that
As had the wrong variety Of potatoes
he Immediately said. We'll. We will
have to sell those at Is ssnts less
on the bushel and take . loss" NO
said a southern friend, sell them
1t u cents nors psr bushsl, for tAoy
are worth more, and don't fail to ad-
vertise them"
Needless to say this carload went
at that price and, N the words OF
the dealers there, They are still 60
Ing"
This crop in the past has besA an
easy one to produce, aAd naturally
va have become negligent and have
said to those in charge, sen the
surplus II you can. il you can't fsed