The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1921-12-21
MANNING S. G., WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21 1901
A TRIP TO VIRGINA'S
SWEET POTATO SECTION
Editor Manning Times,

Editor Manning Times,
Dear Sir:
Last week a party made up of Mr..
Archie Barron, Mr.. Elbert Davis and
the writer made trip to what is
probably the largest sweet potato
growing district in the United States.
This is on the Eastern shore of Vir-
glnla. AS we saw the country and
compared it with our own part of
South Carolina and realized how much
more easily we can grow sweet pota-
toes OF ever so much better quality
we Eished that farmers in Clarendon
County could be acquainted with the
facts. We believe that itewould do
away with much of the uncertainty
with which the average farmer looks
forward to farming next year. Let
us tell you briefly about the trip.
We drove through Florence, Dillon,
Fayetteville, N. c., Raleigh and left
the car at Weldon, N. C. This took
the best part Of two days. From
there we went by train to Norfolk,
Va, and then took boat across Chesa-
peake Bay to Cape Charles. It was
a ride of an hour and half to Onley,
Va, the center of the sweet potato
growing section.
At Onley we found the headouar-
ters Of the selling organization locat-
ed in fine: two-story brick building.
Here they communicate in the ship
ping season with all the shipping
points in the territory and from
this office run special telegraph lines
to all the principal cities, of the
North. At every little shipping point
an inspector is placed during the sea-
son and herein lies one of the big
secrets of their success. They do not
ship anything except the best pota-
toes. The culls are sold to the can
neries.
There are no curing houses in this
section. AS soon as the potatoes are
dug, beginning about the middle of
August, they are packed for shipment
and sent at once. Prices this year
have been as high as 1926 per bu
shell and as low as 85 cents. 1t has
averaged up well and they have made
good money.
We talked to several farmers who
plant from Is to 30 acres of sweet
potatoes. Their method of planting
IS similar to ours in some respects.
some DO not use any commercial
fertilizer but supply pine straw, barn
yard manure and fall cover crops.
They also plant large acreage of
white potatoes but this year they
lost money.
We believe that Clarendon County
can make sweet potatoes its money
crop. With our efficient selling or
ganization at Florence, the South
Carolina Sweet Potatoe Association
we can sell all the potatoes we can
make. Potatoes should be planted
early in order to put on the market in
July and August. Of course we need
curing houses and cannerics. These
will come in time.
Mr.. Ebert Davis has some very
fine seed potatoes and he expects to
set out large sprout bed. There is
no need of Clarendon County farm
ers sending off to Georgia and Florida
for sprouts of questionable variety
when they can buy right at home and
feel assured that they will get what
they order. Mr.. j. II. Touchberry
has some of the finest sweet potatoes
that were put in the curing house this
year and he also will have sprouts to
sell.
We believe that as a result of this
trip we will see many fields of sweet
potatoes in Clarendon County this
year containing twenty acres and
more. We are confident that the
market is untouched and that by
careful selection of Porta Rica seed,
careful growing, careful grading that
many farmers in Clarendon County
will find the real money crop to take
the place of cotton.
Yours very truly,
A. l.. LUCE.
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