Pueblo chieftain., 1922-01-30
By Frederic ]. Haskin.

| Wv ~ Ss-s ""'A' 80
army OF big. red juicy southern sweet
potatoes is marching on tho northern
markets to compete with the paler and
dried Jersey sweet potato which has
for generations held the field almost
unchallenged. In fact. some OF the
southern invaders are already here,
A good many carloads of them have
reached Washington. which has always
used some and points north should be
prepared for the invasion. The south
crners have planned nm intensive ad-
vertising campaign, and ASSOCIATIONS
arc being formed all thru the south
for the purpose of pushing the sweet
potato campaign.
II you want to help the south. when
is Just now having struggle WIN
hard times and the boil weeyil, and
Incidentally add n new dclicacy TO your
table. buy southern sweet potatoes
Serve them candied and make sweet
potato pie out OF them. II you do not
know how. you can find tho receip~s
in any complete cookbook
Nor does this necessarily mean aoan-
doning the Jersey potato for its moro
aucculcnt southern rival. The people
OF tho United States could prot'taoly
cat a great many more sweet potatoes
than they do, and there is every rea-
son why they should cat both kinds. for
tho southern and northern potato dlf-
fer enough to be considered two dis
tinct vegetables.
II is possible to debate at great
length their respective merits. This
Jersey sweet potato Ia dry, alfnos'
powdery when cooked. and has low
sugar content compared to the south
ern variety. The southern potato ia
succuient and hiGh in sugar content. ~
candies beautifully and when rightlS
cooked is a real dclicacy. Any south
errer can become eloquent on short no
tice about his native sweet potato. ne
does not see how anyone can eat tne
dry and eugarless northern potato when
| he might have a big red sweet potato
that Is really sweet. He also makes
tho claim that his southern sweet po-
,sto Is an especially disestbic art
| iclc. Not only Is the potato easily as
simulated itself. he claims, but Il acts
as n digestive for other Foods and cspe'
clally for rich meats. so that roas,
pork and 'ponum are always served
with sweet potatoes In tho south. The
southerners go so far as to Claim thai
Indigestion Is n rare complaint in tht
southern sweet potato belt. and they
attribute this largely to the high digcs'
tive value OF the sweet potato.
| ADVANTAGES OF SOUTHERN
POTATO
! Whatever there may ne N thi. claim
there Is no doubt that tho southern
sweet potato deserves much larger
place on tho American bill OF fare
/ than & has. Even 81 you prefer ths
dry northern potato ror baking. the
southern potato is better for pic ant
Il alone can be successfully candied
[ Furthermore. tho southern potato
higher In sugar content and therefore
L t.. also konna hpttci
and ships better. altho any sweet po'
/ tato is a difficult commodity to dis
tribute. Again, the southern potato py
reason OF tho rich southern soil, the
long growing season ana the cheaI
labor Of that region can be produced
somewhat more cheaply than the
northern potato. Once the southerner'
/ ton thru the north. -ncy will be able
\ to give the northcrncrs an excellent
7 food Mt n low price.
The trouble is that preference ir
matters OF eating are formed almost
entirely by habit. However fine the
southern sweet potato may seem to 2
southerner. Il Is not going TO be ac'
ceptable at first to uortherner who
is accustomed to the Jersey potato
Most northern people regard the sweet
potato a, "A substitute for the Irish 20
Uato, TO be used once IN n while toi
a change. They want something abouI
the same consistency as an Irish po'
tato. which they can mash up with 2
fork and eat with gravy. "Mealy' Is
the adjective that describes good
( potato OF any kind to the northerner
aud the southern potato is no more
meaiy than an apple. II IL succulent
/ The southerner likes II baked or can
died. and he is apt to cut II in chunk
and eat It with n lot OF butter.
These little dinner table habits ert
the deciding factors in the fate of any
food. What the southerners must do II
to educats the country to appreciate
their potato. It can be done and they
know II. for Il has been done before
Intensive advertising has muldplict
tho distribution OF tho California or
angc MANIFOLD. When the growing o
rice In tho southwest began. there wa
almost no northern market Tor Amer
lean grown rice. The Carolina rice
4 fields had long bee,- out of business
The northerners did not know how Il
leat rico. The rlce-Erovcrs formed Al