The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1921-11-10
II Farmers Show
Curing Plant By
First Season of Plant
Proves to Be Great Success
Advantages of This Method Over Rank;no No+bo,. g..
Net Cam to Farmers of so per cent In price Pooood
For Every Bushe Dig in Fal-Curing and Stoiro
Costs Only 20 cents Ter Bushel ''''' 0'ol g

put willing to try anything once pro-
Vldlng there is no chance of oott;no
stung too hard. e
The farmers bringing potatoes to
Ihe plant come from as far off as be-
yond Alpharetta, and from Fulton and
Gherokee counties, or an average ra-
dlus of nine miles.
Inc first week was devoted to the
receiving Of the potatoes, after which
no more potatoes could be received
as the curing of the entire house full
must de done at one time.
CURING COST ONLY zoe BUsHEL
The potatoes are placed in crates
either by the owner of the notatoas
or at the curing plant, in bushel sizes.
and each persons potatoes are marked
Tor identification. The charge of the
crates is at the actual cost Of the
crates to the curing house, IA cents.
the cost OF curing and storing is zoe
per bushel, or total of "a cents per
bushel including the crate, with this
to be taken into consideration, the
crates will be good for many seasons.
SO that the original cost will be the
last, or, in case the potatoes are sold
IN the crates the price of the crates
VIII be added to the market price of
the potatoes, in any event making the
actual cost only Approximately 20 cts.
per bushel, the curing and storing pri-
ce.
The potatoes, or any part belonging
to an individual may be taken out at
any time after the curing until the
middle Of the spring of next wear.
TINS makes it so that the potatoes can
be removed and either eaten or sold
any time the owner desires, or when
ne thinks the market price is salts
factory.
LOSS FROM ROT ONLY "a
1t is pointed out that the loss of
the potatoes in this process of curing
is only 10 per cent in regard to the
weight and the loss from rot will not
average more than per ct. the sea-
sen. This Isl said to be vry low.
as compared to the average loss of the
old methods of banking, which range
from 40 to so per cent, and it is fur
Their pointed out that the house cured
potato has the more. delicious flavor
and will, therefore bring the fancier
price, in addition to being in such con-.
ditiOn as to stand shipping to almost
any part of the globe. whereas only
short shipment is said to result in con-
rot to the banked potato.
STABALIZES PRICE
The main idea of the curing plant
is not simply that of curing the po-
tato better but that of stablizing the
market by taking the surplue off the
fall market, thereby raising the fall
price, and adding to the quantity on
the spring market, which, when, done
generally, may slightly lower the spr-
ing price, but will, nevertheless, add
greatly to the general yearly average
price. This will doubtless react so
as to make the sweet potato one of
the best money crops in theis section,
and its demand constantly grows as
its market reaches further out-made
possible by the longer durability of
the potato under shipping conditions.
The effect has already been seen on
the local market at Roswell. The
price of potatoes thereabouts are
third higher than previously for the
fall season and also higher than the
surrounding cities. This is due pri-
marily to the fact that 1000 more
bushels than ordinarily have been re-
moved from the Roswell fall market.
1t is also said that in South Georgia,
counties where such plants are COM
mon that the effect has been the same
on the home market.
VALUE OVER BANKED POTATO
The real net value of the advant-
age over the banking mthods, it is
said, can be pointed out best as fol-
lows A bushel Of potatoes dug the
fall and saved over until spring by
the banking process looses IN rot
from 40 to 60 percent, or an average
of so per cent. Say the fall price is
rs cents per bushel (the highest) and
the spring price $1.25 (the lowest.)
The potato dug in the fall brings an
average of only one-half of the spring
market price owing to the fact that
half of it has rotted, or 65 p cents,
q loss by carrying them over of APP
proximately 10 cents per bushel. The
curing plant potato looses only z per
cent: a bushel, therefore, dug in the
fall, brings actually $1.22. Deducting
an,overage of % cents for curing the
storing and placing the length OF lie
of a crate at years, the net price
is 81 and one half cents, net gam
Of % and one half cents per busshel
for curing and holding until spring.
or an actual gain Of 80 and one h&l
cents over that of the banking meth
cd not to mention the higher fall price
secured thru the taking of so many po
+atoes off the fall market. In addlt- |
ION il is pointed out that the trouble
Of taking them to the curing plant is
no more than that of gathering Dry
ing and banking.
ADDITION NEXT YEAR
The success of the plant the first
wear, it is stated, will result in the car
Tving out the origianl plans OF put |
ING an addition to the present build
ING next year making the total capac..
ity 10000 bushels, or double that Oh
The present. The grounds are large
enough for a 900 bushel plant, and