Preparation for Market 333 



jects have been fully discussed in other parts of this 

 work except the handling and grading, which will be 

 treated in the following pages. 



Grading. (See Tig. 40.) 



The sweet potato root which brings the highest price 

 on the markets is of medium size, smooth and uniform 

 and spindle-shaped, that is, long, and tapering from the 

 middle towards both ends. The roots of varieties 

 should never be mixed. For all practical purposes the 

 average farmer will use only two grades roughly classed, 

 (1) those to be marketed, and (2) those used at home. 

 When sold to a canning factory, the potatoes are usually 

 taken " field run " and do not require grading. Sweet 

 potatoes for the general market should not be less than 

 iy2 nor more than 4 inches in diameter, and not more 

 than 7 inches long. The following grades on sweet 

 potatoes which were temporarily adopted by the State 

 Department at Austin, Texas, August 16, 1918, have 

 furnished the basis of all attempts for standard grades 

 made since that time : 



" No. 1. This grade shall consist of sound sweet pota- 

 toes of similar varietal characteristics which are prac- 

 tically free from dirt or other foreign matter, frost- 

 injury, bruises, cuts, scars, cracks and damage caused 

 by diseases, insects or mechanical means. The diameter 

 shall not be less than one and three-fourths inches nor 

 more than three and one-half inches. 



" Five percentum by weight of any lot may be below 

 the least or above the greatest diameter prescribed, and, 

 in addition, five percentum by weight of such lot may be 

 below the remaining requirements of the grade. 



