180 



chloride. No injury due to manuring with common salt was ob- 

 served. The results seem to justify the conclusion that where 

 potash and phosphoric acid are present in sufficient quantity, and 

 the water requirements of the plant are met, the increase yield by 

 the addition of salt is to be traced to direct manurial effect, espe- 

 cially in respect of the chlorine part of it. — Iiitcniaf. hist, of Ai^ric. 



STORING AND MARKETING SJVEET POTATOES. 



(From Farmers' Bulletin 548, U. S. Department of Agriculture.) 



Each year the sweet potato is becoming of greater importance 

 as a money crop in the South. The value of this crop in the 

 United States in 1909 was $34,429,000, 90 per cent, of which 

 was produced in the Southern States. The total area devoted 

 to sweet potatoes in the United States increased from 537,000 

 acres in 1899 to 641,000 in 1909, and the yield hicreased from 

 42,500,000 to 52,200,000 bushels. The total value of the crop 

 increased at a much more rapid rate than either the acreage or 

 yield, showing an increase of 78.3 per cent, in 10 years. 



With better methods of storing and marketing the potatoes, 

 their value could be doubled without increasing the acreage or 

 production. This is especially true in the South, where the pota- 

 toes are either rushed on the market at digging time, when the 

 price is low, or stored in outdoor pits or banks, where a large 

 portion decay. Very few of the sweet potatoes stored in pits 

 or banks ever reach the market, for from 25 to 50 per cent, spoil 

 and those that remain are not of good quality. Even if the pit 

 or bank method of storage would keep the potatoes it is not 

 economical. Too much labor and expense are re(|uired to make 

 these banks every year and to get the potatoes out when wanted 

 for market. Sweet potatoes can be marketed more economically 

 and to much better advantage from storage houses. It is not 

 advi.sable to oi)en a bank when the soil is wet or the weather 

 cold, as these conditions injure the potatoes and cause them to 

 decay. Outdoor i)its and banks can not be dci^cndcd on. Some 

 years a very small number of the potatoes spoil in banks, while in 

 other years practically the whole crop is lost. The only safe and 

 practicable method of storing sweet potatoes is in a storage 

 house, as the potatoes can be taken out at any time wilhout sub- 

 jecting them to unfavorable conditions. 



To koc]) sweet potatoes in good condition they must be (1) 

 well matured before digging, (2) carefully handled, (3) well 

 dried or cured after being put in the house, and ( 4 ) ke])t at a 

 uniform temperature after they are cured. 



The grower can judge when his sweet potatoes arc ripe by 

 breaking or cutting the tubers and leaving ihem exposed to the 



