Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-14
The Sweet Potato Industry in
Gooy.Uf0

Georgia
Much interest has been evidenced
IN the sweet potato industry Of Geor
sla. It constitutes one of the crops
watch we can grow to an almost un
united extent provided we can find
o satisfactory market for any sur
Plus we may produce, This mat
Ter is of such great importance thai
a recent survey of the sweet potato
industry in Georgia has been made
by Prof. George o. Catlin, assistant
IN the division of cooperative rela
tons of the bureau Of markets anG
crop estimates, United States depart
nient of agriculture, Washington, d
G. He has been kind enough to fur
nisf1 us with copy Of his findings
relative to this matter. We consider
them of so much importance thai
we are presenting them in detail in
this column for the information OF
our readers.
Production and CarIof Movement
In 1900 the production of sweet
potatoes in Georgia was 6,035, 200
bushels; in 1910, 7,055,00 bushels
and In 1920, 1s,764,oo0 bushels. Pro.
auction has been increased greatly
SA<ASC 1O1ts CNOIy Iu0IC0tkOII Is
that it will continue to increase. The
stimulation CT production is due to
& considerable extent to the move
ruent for diversification, and the de-
veiopment Of practical storage
houses.
AT the present time Georgia ranks
second in the production Of sweet
+. potatoes. The main producing sec.
finn ic IN fha va ,.f (s,f he
state, although the area suitable for
commercial production is as large
and corresponds to the are a suitable
TO- cotton. Among. the twenty.sev.
en- states shipping sweet potatoes
In carlots during the 1920-1921 sea-
son Georgia ranks sixth. Anaeng
the states shipping the moist SUI
gary varieties known as southern
sweet potatoes, it ranks second in
Importance.
During the 1890 season Georgia
shipped 4s1 cars, 112 Of which went
to twelve large markets of the north
and east During the 192O.s1 sea-
son S68 cars were shipped from the
state, and 122 OF thece went TO the
twelve large markets referred to.
These figures show that the volume
OF carlot shipments was almost dou.
bled without increasing to any ex-
tent sales in the large markets. In
the writer's opinion these figures in
dicate that Georgia shippers have
not found the demand for southern
sweet potatoes which they expected
to find in the large markets and are
distributing their cars to smaller
markets in the states north and west
OF Georgia. A commercial distrib-
uting concern sold cars in sixty
eight markets in twenty-seven states.
A considerable number of cars went
to small towns, in one instance, 20
town with a population of about
1,A0O. Shipments were made from
the state every month in the year,
the bulk of them occurring in Deceni-
Der, January, February, March,
April and May.
a large number of storage houses
have been constructed in the past
Few years. and there are doubtless
available at present modern storage
facilities for over 100000 bushels
or between 5000 and 1000 carloads.
Many of the houses were built dur
ing a period of high costs of labor
and material. Most of the large
EcCses were built by business men
who buy sweet potatoes at digging
time and sell them during the win
ter and spring months. There are
doubtless more of these so-called corn