PRODUCTION OF SIRUP FROM SWEET POTATOES. 21 
A normal operating season of eight months may be assumed when 
a storage house is used. The potatoes begin to be available about 
August 15 and can be kept in good condition up to April 15, when the 
rapid rotting caused by high temperatures makes longer storage 
impracticable. The loss is very small in the early part of the 
season, but becomes noticeable during the last two months of the 
period. Under favorable conditions the loss from rotting has been 
as low as 2 per cent but may. even with normal care, exceed 10 per 
cent under less favorable circumstances. An operating season of 192 
days (8 months of 21 days each) and a shrinkage of 1 per cent have 
been taken as a basis for the cost calculations. 
It is fully realized that the estimated costs for various items will 
vary with different sections and local conditions. Elaborateness of 
buildings, possible elimination of the curing house, desired capacity 
of the plant, and utilization of labor-saving equipment are im- 
portant considerations. 
LAND AND BUILDINGS. 
A lot 100 by 200 feet would provide ample space for a plant of 
the size here discussed. This would allow for the required build- 
ings, for driveways for handling materials and the finished product, 
and for a railroad, siding. • It is assumed that the plant would be 
built in a small town, in which case $1,000 would be a liberal esti- 
mate for the cost of the land. 
The following buildings are necessary: A sweet-potato storage 
house, the factory proper, an office, and a boiler and engine house. 
The size of the buildings can be determined from the plant layout 
(Fig. 12). The cost of the buildings is determined by the type of 
construction, which in turn is dependent upon the geographical 
location of the plant, as well as upon the amount of money which 
is available. Clearly a plant built in a southern State need not 
be as substantial as one built in a northern State. Since most of 
the sweet potatoes are raised in the South, however, the plant was 
considered as being located in one of the southern States. The type 
of construction of the buildings would be the same as that described 
on page 5. The office was taken as being made of weather boarding 
with a tar-paper roof, the inside of the office finished with ceiling. 
The approximate cost of such buildings would be : 
Potato storage house $3, 500 
Main plant o. 500 
Office 
Engine and boiler house 900 
Total cost 8, 400 
LAYOUT FOR PLANT AND APPARATUS. 
From the experience and information secured from the experi- 
ments conducted at the experimental plant, a plant for the manu- 
facture of sweet-potato sirup was designed. The number and size 
of the buildings required by a plant of the given capacity may be 
determined from the layout (Fig. 12). The type and number o\ 
pieces of apparatus necessary for the manufacture of the sweet- 
