The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1922-04-26
WORK TO BE DONE.

Sometime ago the Press and. Ban
ner urged on the people about Able
vile the planting of a sweet potato
crop as an additional money crop. AS
is usual good advice in Abbeville
goes UNDECIDED. Though, it must be
said, that a good many people are
thinking along the lines which we
discussed and there is interest in
potato growing. Only recently two or
three enterprising citizens had speak
ers here to discuss the matter.
In this connection attention is
called to an article in The State of
today sent from Fort Mill, which in
part is as follows:
"Abour a year ago the Fork Pota-
to Growers association, composed
principally of farmers in the lower
section of Fort Mill township, was
formed with the purpose of growing.
curing, and marketing sweet potatoes
and, with the sale of the last of last
years crop, Ladson M. Massey, Sec
rotary of the association, has made a
report of the operations which in
clude the sale to dealers of 900
bushels and to seedsmen of 200 bush
els, while the families of the men,
bers were bountifully supplied
throughout the year. The sales were
made in Fort Mill and Rock Hill,
Winthrop college being supplied from
time to time, and the average price
obtained was around $3.50 per bushel
1.-THE beginnings were on a small
scale, a storage house of $500 bush
els being built, in which were stored
during the year 1900 crates for cur
ing. The experiment is considered so
successful that planting On a much
larger scale will be done this year
and to care for the product another
storage house of 5000 bushels capa-
city is being built, and still another
of $500 bushels capacity is in con-
temptation. 1t is the intention of the
local association to join the state
association as soon as the production
is sufficiently large to make a
load shipments. The Puerto Rico
variety is grown exclusively, and con-
sumers testify the superiority of the
"cured" product over that of former
days when the potatoes were kept
under hills. S. C. Armstrong, presi-
dent of the association, is given
much credit for the success of the
past year, and he is satisfied that po-
tatoes are a very much more profit
able crop than cotton, ven at 20
cents per pound, under boil weevil
conditions"
If the people about Fort Mill car
make money out of potatoes there is
no reason why we cannot. If we plant
and gro potatoes and cannot sell
them, we can at least use them in
feeding the people on the farms who
do not grow potatoes and who must
be fed every year out of the stores.
Nor is it too late to take active
steps for a potato crop in Abbeville
township this season. Just now the
County Demonstration Agent is busy
with Cooperative Marketing. As soon
as the the bend has been turned in
that fight he will be ready for some
thing else. Why may he not appoint
himself a leader and arrange for the
growing and curing of 10000 BUSH
els of sweet potatoes in this neigh
borhood the present year? There is
plenty of time for planting the po-
tatoes. Farmers may yet shape their
planting operations so as to give an
acre or two on every farm to this
cron We con hni1d tho c,r;no houco
in the summer while the potatoes are
making, and in the fall we a house
a crop of potatoes which will bring
into this neighborhood at current
prices about $4,000.
The matter is worth consideration.
1t is worth more than that, the plan
should be adopted. We have a live
county agent now. Why may he not
lead the fight and get the Abbeville