Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-09-26

| HOrLuSdSl6Tn S0CClOH OIL the SWEEP
potato area which includes New
GINA and northeastern North Caro-
lima. If the central group states
are view as a market Tennessee, for
| instance, has the advantage of a
shorter freight haul. AS regards
the markets further west Arkan
sas, Louisiana and Texas have the
! same advantages.
Of the several varieties of moist
sugary sweet potatoes grown in
Georgia the Porto Rico Is most
important and makes up the bulk
of the shipments. 1t is a popular
variety in the south but it is not
so popular outside of this terri
tory. Here again, competing sec
lions of states have the advantage
The markets Of the east and north
prefer the dry, nealy varieties
produced in the northeastern sec
ton, or the Nancy Halls produced in
| Tennessee. This preference of other
varieties is not only indicated by
| the demand and carlot movement
but by the prices paid.
A five-pack crate, 12x12x1SA is
in general use in Georgia and South
Carolina, as container for storing
and shipping. The states Of the
northeastern section ship mostly in
barrels and hampers. Tennessee
ships in hampers, and the most pop
ular containers used by the other
states are bushel hampers, bushel
baskets and bushel crates. The use
of standard bushel containers which
are popular with the trade gives to
competing states another advantage
on the markets.
The sweet potatoes shipped from
Georgia as the Porto REQ variety
vary considerably in type and color
and there seems to be little effort to
fix the characteristics of the variety
through intelligent seed selection and
proper methods Of propagation.
There is also a lack Of STANDARDIZED
ton in grading and packing which
has interfered with the satisfactory
marketing Of the crop. Georgia has
an unenviable reputation for poor
quality. The preference of the trade
for other varieties is due to a con-
siderable extent to the better quality
and appearance Of shipments from
other sections.
A lack of organization among
growers is factor which makes 1t
difficult to effect improvements sn
the growing, handling, storing and
marketing of the Georgia sweet po-
tato crop. The need of organized eff
fort is apparent to those who have
studied the industry, but the growers
themselves do not, as class, realize
this need or manifest much interest
m proposed organizations. Several
efforts to organize cooperative mar
keting associations among growers
have failed. Other efforts to unite
growers, shippers and business men
in one organization have failed. Most
Of the plans proposed have been for
statewide or section-wide organiza-
tons. Organization has been espe-
cially difficult because of conditions
under which the crop is produced,
the existence of large commercial
houses and chains of houses, lack
of experience in cooperative activ1-
ties, etc.
Due to conditions which have been
mentioned, market preference as re-
CARDS varieties and containers, dis
lance from markets, poor grading
and packing, erratic distribution,
etn., Georgia sweet potatoes do not
sell on the market for as much as
stock from older shipping sections.
There are several shipping sections,
as pointed out, which have the adj
vantage over Georgia as regards pop
ular market variety, container, prox'
unity to market, yield per acre, es-
tal,7shed trade connections, and a
reputation for careful grading, pack
ing and uniformly high quality. The
following comparison will indicate the
position of Georgia as commercial
producer and shipper of sweet pota-
toes: New Jersey produced during
the 1920-21 season 143 bushels per
acre, total of 1887 carloads on the
basis of 600 bushels to the car. 1t
shipped 3,085 cars, or over 81 per
cent of it's production. During the
same season, Georgia grew SO bush
els per acre, produced the equiva-
lent of 22,940 carloads, and shipped
S6S cars, or less than A per cent of
it's production. The prices at which
bushel hampers of New Jersey stock
sold greatly exceeded the prices paid
for five peck crates Of Georgia stock,
not infrequently selling on the same
market at more than twice as much.
There are two methods which
might be suggested to overcome the
handicaps enumerated, namely ~
by the adoption Of better production
methods and practices increase the
yield to such an extent that returns
per acre will justify selling at low
price per bushel, or (2) adopt prac-