The Wilmington morning star., 1940-01-01
POTATO QUALITY
BOOST IS URGED
n. C.. Industry Faces Ruin
Unless Better Product
Is Offered
BY LOUIS II. WILSON
Editor, y. &. Department OF
Agriculture

RALEIGH, Dec. z1.-R-North
Carolins'8 Irish potato INDUSTRY with
q normal value Of approximately &c.
900, 900 faces ruin unles. growers
meet Increasingly keen competition
with a. better quality product ans
adopt approved marketin. practices.
This IL the opinion Of BUXTON
White, state department Of agricul
ture marketing gpecialigt, who has
Just completed A. study Of 'compet1'
tive factors affecting the carly com
mercial potato producers Of the
state"
"Potatoeg produced BY North Caro-
lima. growers have been reaching the
terminal markets in the larger cities
Of the north, and 1t other points in
g. literally rotten condition in many
instances" White said. I'm fact.
there were carloads Of potatoes sold
on the northern markets this season
1T q price covering only d portion
Of freight charges. This condition
il becoming increasingly serious n
unless harvesting, packing and ship
ping methods are employed by pro-
ducers, they cannot expect to CON"
pete in She highly competitive fie!G
Of potato marketing."
White listed sever essentials in
meeting potato competition:
/. FsrIners must take steps 70
eliminate rough handling Of potato =
during harvesting and hauling, prio.
to shipment.
2. Potatoes should be dug in ths
late afternoon from 3 to 4 O'Clock
then left in the field over night II
"cool in the night air. which dries
and "setg' the gking. The potatoes
should be removed the following day
early in the morning before they be
gin to absorb the SUMS heat.
3. Potatoes must be handled care
fully. Rough treatment results IL
mechanical injuries, or a break III
surface Of the potato which creates
an entrance for bacteria that will
ultimately bring about decay under
conditions Of excessive heat and
moisture.
a.. Attractive containers that will
afford more protection to the pro-
duce must be developed, and atten.
ton must be directed to the "indl-
vidual package" that is finding favor
with the
j.. In making use Of refrigerator
.rA in shipping potatoes, shippers
should see that the cars remain clos.
ed during the day and hat vents
be opened at night in the interest Of
maintaining cooler conditions that
are not conducive to potato rot.
6. The "loose-pyramid" system Of
stacking sacked potatoes should be
employed in loading in refrigerator
carg. thus affording more air chan
nels for better ventilation.
7. 70 further prevent decay, the
shipper should determine the tenn
perature Of the potatoes prior to
shipping and when the heat Is in
sXces Of 70 degrees, it Is desirable
to pre-cool or initial-icc the car.
However. "the chilling of potatoes
is a precaution against decay, and
not Il cure for damage already
done"
North Carolina Is from three to
five years behind the more progress
aive potato growing areas in adopt
ing marketing methods that will as
sure them a fair return on their in
vtstmcnt," White asserted. "The
state Is well adapted to the produc-
ti"n Of early commercial Irish 20.
tatoes, but to meet consumer de.
mands our farmers must turn to the
accepted trade practices that are be-
ing advocated and followed by grow.
ers on competitive states, otherwise
these states will make further in
roads on the markets ordinarily serv.
ed by North Carolina producers"