The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1922-09-26
MUST GRADE POTATOES
TO BUILD UP MARKET
Government Report Says N. c. Potatoes Have
Poor Reputation in Most Large Markets
Because of Dirt, Poor Grading
and Slack Packs

More attention to grading,
to packing and to the cllmlna-
ton Of dirt from North Caro-
lima potatoes will be necessary
on the part O: growers ot this
section. in order for their
crops to gain a reputation on
the large markets, in corlpcti-
tion with Eastern Shore Elr-
ginia potatoes.
This much is evident from the re-
port Of the L. s. Bureau of Crops
and Markets. just furnished this
newspaper by, Richard c. Job. Sec
-fetary of the Chamber, Of Commerce
of Elizabeth City. The information
comes as the result of the office cS.
tablishcd here this summer by the
bureau. The report of the repre-
sentative follows:
The Office was located ut Elizabeth
City because il is one Of the hcavicS,
loading stations in the State. and al
so because of the fact that the
Chamber of Commerce offered to as
sist in dcfrayinG the expenses of the
field station.
The potato section. Uf North Car
Olima extends from Virginia on the
north TO South Carolina on the south
and takes in all Of thr coastal coun-
ties. being widely scattered. 1t is
really divided into three distinct dis
trictS aS follows. The Washington
Aurora district. thc Mount Olive dis
trict. and the Elizabeth City district.
The Elizabeth City district ships ap-
proXimatcly Ouc-half of the potatoes
shipped from the State. and about
two-thrls of this; stock is loaded ai
Elizabeth City. shipments from this
loading point being approximately
lilo ears. The Elizabeth City sec
ton consists Of Currituck. Camden
and l'aSQuOtank counties. and is sep
aratcd from the Washington section
BY the Albcmarlr Sound. The load
ing stations are fairly well c"ncrn-
tratcd in Il small district. and prac-
tically all of the travelling buyers
make Elizabeth City their hcadQuar-
tcrS. Practically all Of the stock
from Currituck County is brought
down on boats and loaded at Eliza
beth City. Other loading stations III
this district are Edcmton. Chapanokc.
Camden. BclcroSS. Shawbor". Cora
pcakc. and MOyOck.
More fob. information can be- OBJ
tanned at Elizabeth City than from
any other point. but because Of the
Door telephone service it is practl-
cally impossible to secure informn-
ton from the other districts. The
telephone service is probably aS good
a this point as anywhere else in
Eastern North Carolina. The mail
councillors are rather poor i'll re-
gard to serving the other districts
but there is no place in North Caro-
lima from which reports can. be is
sued and reach all outlying points in
satisfactory time.
. Methods of Marketing
Altho considerable stock was sold
on the basis of wire orders. fob.
usual terms and cash track, it was
mainly IL consignment deal this sea-
son. The majority of the potatoes
are. grown on contract. The larger
growers usually handle their own
stock. most of this being consigned
this season to the larger terminal
markets. altho few cars were sold
to the cash track buyers.
Yield, Etc.
The yield this season was below
normal and averaged approximately
40 barrels to the acre. This was
mostly due to the late frost which