The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-02-23
THE SWEET POTATO INDUSTRY.
Some Facts and Figures Concerning Ii

Some Facts and Figures Concerning Ii
"No perishable product produced in
the south is of as great Importance
rs the sweet potato and none so
Ioorly handled. Tinted States De-
partmcnt of Agriculture, Farmers
| BulIctin No. $40.
The sweet potato is one of the
most wholesome and nutritious veg
etable foods known, yet it is obtain
able only during a few months of the
year in most communities, even in
the south where it is grown.
| Climatic conditions and soil quail
ties in the south are ideal to pro-
duce sweet potatoes of the finest
flavor and quality, yet we do not pro-
duce enough of them to supply the de-
mands of our own people and we are
able to save but a small part of those
we raise.
| Much of the world is starving to-
day, yet thousands of bushels of our
sweet potatoes are rotting in many
communities for the lack of proper
curing and storage facilities TO pre-
pare them for shipment
This shameful waste can be rene
died by building curing plants and
establishing markets in communities
where sweet potatoes are grown.
The farmer can then haul his potatoes
to the curing plant and get his mon
cy just as the farmer in the north
takes his grain to the elevator and
converts it into cash at the market
price.
If you will install a modern sweet
potato curing and storage plant in
your locality, your farmers will make
sweet potatoes their principal money
crop because it will be their most
profitable as we'll as their most GER
tain crop.
The location Of our curing plant in
your community will establish a sweet
,potOto market it will bring many ad-
ditional thousands of dollars yearly to
your trade territory; it will stimulate
business Of all kinds and make your
land values grow.
Thin, sandy land that will produce
Twenty bushels of corn or one-fourth
bale Of cotton to the acre will pro-
duce over two hundred bushels of
sweet potatoes under the same sea-
son conditions and many sweet pc
tato growers tell us they can grow
and gather an acre Of sweet potatoes
at a less expense than an acre of cot
ton.
The establishing of a modern cur
ing and storage plant in your COM
'munity not only makes your farmers
prosperous and benefits your COM
munity in general, but it is highly
profitable to the investor. Sweet po-
tatoes are always worth in the spring
two or three times what they are
worth at digging time. Figure the
profit to the storage house man fol
yourself.
DO you know who ii was that made
the larger fortunes in the cotton SEED
oil mill business? Let us remind yol
that they were the men who got int
the business while it was in it
infancy. Let us suggest further tina
the sweet potato business as affected
: ~ the cOmmoi lial cuIlns ana ,torae.
: house is only in its infancy and tn
/ men who come in first will also max
the larger profits from it.
AS an example OF Wndt can De QOn
with sweet potatoes in a community
Longview, Texas, commenced to built
her sweet potato business a few year
ago and soon became largest swee
potato shipping point in the world. Ii
1 1914 there were Is carloads shipped
from Longview; in 1915, III cars
in 1916, 320 cars; in 1917, 425 cars
} in 1918 Ca dry year,, about 500 cars
and in 1919 a little less than 100
cars. This shows what can be don
1 in a community where curing plant
t and markets are established. Lan'
= in that vicinity that was worth 80
e per acre in 1915 is now worth SIS
per acre and many men, both farm
ers and business men, who had prac
tically nothing five years ago hay
G become financially independent an
e made it in sweet potato business.
!. In the spring of 1919 three sepa
:. rate shipments of cured sweet pc
tatoeS were sent to Europe and i
q each instance their arrival lin goo
condition. was acknowledged. On
II shipment TO Mr.. Herbert Hoover lei
l. Longview on the Dist day of Marcl
If a letter from Mr.. HooverS office