The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-08-18
SWEET POTATO MONEY GETTER.
Address at Conference On Work of
the Development Board.

were the remarks OF n. T.. Horton,
the boards manager, on the sweet
potato. State Senator Neils Chris
tensen, of Beaufort, chairman, took
part in the conference. The two Off
GERS told business men CT the noards
activities and the success it is achiev-
ing
Mr.. Horton said that at present
there are 107 "curing' houses for
sweet potatoes in South Carolina and
as many more projected. He pointed
out that this sweet potato industry
had reached interesting proportions
in the state, and that it is remunera-
tive to those who are following it.
Cotton must always be one of the
big crops of the state and we may
not give up it's production, but the
hour has struck when another cash
crop must move. to the fore, namely,
the sweet potato,' Mr. Horton said.
Everybody, north and south, likes
the sweet potato. Some of our people
who have not been away from home,
or having been in the north, have not
studied the subject carefully, say the
nothern man does not like the moist
sugary Porto Rico variety and de-
mands the dry, poorly favored potato
grown in New Jersey, Delaware and
Virginia. Opposed to this men who
have made this subject their special
study report the northern man does
like the moist sugary sort we like
so we'll.
1T may be asked, why haven't we
built up a demand in the northern
market for our produce? The reason
why we haven't has nothing to do
with excellence of the potatoes, but is
due to the fact the southern grower
has never put up standard pack and
handled the selling end in the busi-
nesslike way demanded by the trade:
The New Jersey grower, with an in
ferior article, puts up standard pack
and handles his sales like real busi-
ness man.
What are we doing about it? The
South Carolina Sweet Potato Associa-
tion, backed and coached by the
South Carolina Development Board, is
perfecting plans at this time to grade,
pack and market comparatively the
| pack of it's eighteen member houses.
The sweet potato crop will be handled
in a way very similar to the way
cotton will be handled by the South
Carolina Cotton Growers Cooperative
Association-locals madeup of growers
located in all parts Of the state pro-
ducing sweet potatoes, districts made
up of locals, and finally the head SELL
ing organization. The Development
Board is making the necessary stud
les preparatory to launching this pro-
ject.
''The market demands grade. stock,
the 'so-called Number Ones and
Number Twos.' Choice Number Ones,
suitable for baking (weighing to 10
ounces) retail at 10 to IA cents a
pound. Number Twos for to cents
a pound.
"To put up the choice pack it is
necessary to find some use for. the
'iumbos,' strings and cuts which
must be culled out. These culls may
be used to make line of high grade
by-products: Cattle feed, table syrup,
vinegar, starch, flour.
"The curing process makes it pos
sible to keep potatoes from the time
just prior to the first frost until the
middle of the following May, and
curing houses located in the Pied
mont district should have no difficult
ty keeping the potatoes we'll into
June. AS we begin to get new pota-
toes the middle of July there is only
short interim when potatoes may
not be offered on the market.
THE sweet potato grows to great
est perfection on the light sandy
loans of the coastal plain district,
and with little care produces over
hundred bushels per acre of field run,
and with care may be made to pro-
duce $50 to 400 bushels per acre.
There are 107 curing houses in
the state and as many more projected.
If the houses join the South Caro-
lima Sweet Potato Association, and
adhere strictly to it's rules, the grow
ing of sweet potatoes may be made a
very remunerative business.
NINETY per cent of the potatoes
grown in the state is the Porto Rico
variety, not that it is the best tast-
ing as we all know, but because it is
big yielding variety, fairly free from
disease, keeps we'll and stands ship