The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1921-01-21
FITZGERALD SEEKS
YAM SYRUP STATION
Government Experts Pleased
with Ben Hill County
is NEW DISCOVERY
Station Here Would Develop
New Sweet Potato Industry

Fitzgerald's bid for the government
experiment station to develop new
ly discovered sweet potato syrup, was
the Bureau of Chemistry of the de-
partment of Agriculture at meeting
made to party of three experts from
at the Chamber of Commerce We'd
nesday afternoon.
The three experts are visiting a
number of points in the South, in
Guiding Waynesboro, Americas, Tiff
ton and Moultrie, Georgia. On their
report to the bureau chief depends
the selection of location for the ex-
pertinent station. David J. Price, en-
gineer in charge of the department
OF development work, complimented
fitzgerald and the section very high
ly and those at the meeting are con-
tident the plant will be located here.
Mr.. c. A. Newcomer, one of the
pioneers in the potato business in
this section, and County Agent c.. T.
Owens were especially complimented.
Mr.. Price said that he had heard of
Fitzgerald before through Mr.. New
cimer's efforts to develop the COM
mercial use of the sweet potato.
Mr.. Price stated that the govern
ment would install a sweet potato
syrup plant large enough to produce
sufficient syrup to determine its pro-
duction cost and to determine its
market value. After those facts have
been learned, the government will
release the product for commercial
development.
Discoverer Explains Process
DR.. H. c. Gore discoverer of the
sweet potato syrup, explained the
method of manufacturing syrup from
yams. Only culls need be used in the
process, he explained, and when de-
veloped it will furnish a market for
sweet potatoes too large or too small
for ordinary use.
The yams are cleaned and thrown
into tank where they are cooked by
steam and mashed to a pulp. The
pulp is diluted with water until it be-
comes of liquid form. The liquid is
drained off over screen and all the
juice is pressed from the pulp. The
juice boiled down to proper con-
sistency, as in making cane syrup, and
passed through a refining process.
The finished product, of which a
small quantity was exhibited at the
meeting, has a color and consistency
similar to cane syrup. 1t has very
light potato flavor. Those at the
meeting sampled both cane and potato
syrup AMI expressed an opinion that
the new syrup is quite as delicious as
the famous Georgia Cane Syrup.
Simple in Operation
]. 0. Reid, engineer who will install
the experiment plant wherever the
bureau of chemistry decides to locate
it, explained the mechanical process
involved in the manufacture 1t is
very simple and requires only ordinary
machinery.
After general round table discus
sion, Mr.. w. R. Bowen reviewed the
situation in regard to the station and
stated that Fitzgerald could offer bet
ter inducements than any other city
in the South. The other business men
and farmers approved Mr.. Bowen's Of
fer that Fitzgerald would furnish a
building to house the plant, a plenti-
full supply of sweet potatoes at mar
ket prices and good market in which
the sales value of the syrup could be
tested. Fitzgerald's offer will be sub
mitted in writing to secretary of Ag-
riculture Meredith from the Chamber
of Commerce.