The dispatch-news. [volume] (Lexington, S.C.) 1919-2001, 1921-02-23
WHERE DO OUR SWEET
POTATOES GO?

Clemson College, February a.
OF the hundred and three million
/ bushels Of sweet potatoes produced in
| the United States during the year
1919, eighty per cent, or more than
| eighty million bushels, were produced
! in the Southern States; yet the mar
| kets were supplied in the main by
| the sweet potatoes grown in the
| North. The North produced around
/ twenty million bushels but marketed
| approximately seventy-five per cent
Of all potatoes that were. marketed.
| The Southern States south Of ViT-
ginia and Kentucky grow the south:
| ern varieties and produced approx
mately 146,360 cars of sweet potatoes
| calling 800 bushels carr. Out of
this amount Of sweet potatoes 1920
| cars were shipped to market, which
| was less than three per cent of the
! production.
South Carolina produced 1860
cars, and at the same time there were
shipped into this state Is cars from
| Georgia and North Carolina. Why was
this true? Did South Carolina not
| raise enough potatoes for home use?
Yes, and she had a surplus, but the
potatoes were not put in marketable
shape, not stored, not graded and
cured and in car lots ready for ship
ment when markets demanded them.
First, In growing sweet potatoes for
| markets within or outside this State,
we must not forget our competitors,
especially the competitors that we
have when we attempt to place our
potatoes on the market north of US.
| There is strong competition north Of
US from the latter part Of July or first
of August until latter part Of January
says F. l.. Harkey, Extension Service
Marketing Agent.
/ The first potato ready for shipment
| in the United States is the Triumph
| or Improved Jersey sweet potato
shipped from Foley and Bay Minette,
| Alabama, and nearby shipping points.
Shipping season at these points starts
about July 1st. About three weeks
| later practically the same variety: Of
sweet potato begins to move from
Elizabeth City section Of North Caro-
lima. Many cars of these early pota
toes go as far as Kansas City, Mis-
souri,, and some beyond. When North
| Carolina shipping is in full blast, the
! eastern shore of Virginia opens up
with an early variety Of sweet potato,
and a little later Delaware and New
Jersey begin to supply the Eastern
| markets.. These two states store a
great part Of their crop and take the
| best care Of this stored stock until
| December or January, at which time
their shipments begin to take care
| of Il greater part of the demand on
the Eastern markets.
It should not be understood that
| there is not demand in most of
these markets for some Of our best
graded stock from December on, but
the demand increases when the Jer-
| sey sweet potatoes are out of the
way. a..
Our Porto Rico and Nancy Hall
varieties Of sweet potatoes are find
ing increased favor on the Northern
markets, but in making an Introduce
ten, we must see that the product
| presents neat attractive appear
anee. That means potatoes well
graded and properly handled. The
slogan Of commercial sweet potato
| growers should be, place a graded
product Of superior quality on the
| market"
This season we have made q rapid
stride in the marketing Of this now
| important crop. We have more than
| quadrupled our storage space and will
| therefore quadruple our shipments
from the state. And let us hope
| that we will divide by four the ship
| ments coming into the state