Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1845-03-12

potato nils Oy drawing up lhe corners ol
squares with hoe. We have tried both
hills aud ridges, and kave no preference,
though the soil when planted in hills i!
most likely to be washed away by heavy
rains. From three to four slips should be
planted in the hill. As soon as the slips
begin to sprout, the ridges or hills should
be scraped of with the hoe, which enable
the young plants 10 come up readily. aud
Immediately after they have. appeared
above The ground the beds should be plough
ed down carefully, and The poughins TO
be performed as close to Tho plants as they
will bear, so as not TO disturb The parent
slip. This will yield 10 the young plants
that warmth which is so much desired in
this culture, and potatoes thus cultivated
will stand The summer tlroughts better than
those which have been cultivated other
wise. Frequent plongAings. with, few
times hoeias. is all that is necessary. until
the vines attain length which inlerferes
with the ploughing. at which period the
ridges and hills should be drawn up with
The hoe, fuller than they were originally.
aud in such n manner that they should be
hollow at the top. Great care should be
taken not TO draw any soil on the vines,
aud therefore whilst drawing up the beds
they should be gently raised with The hands.
inst before the vines reach the bottom Of
the beds. plough should be rrn twice
through the rows in order 10 give mellow
earth 10 root in. This will serve to sus
tain the vines in extreme drought; and as
the leaves are almost the only organs
which feed tuberous roots, would earn
estly recommend an abandonment of the
practice Of topping potatoes or of tearing
the vines with plough, and particularly
the practice Of making calf pasture of The
potato patch late in summer.
Potatoes for planning should always be
raised from cuttings, particularly. as: they
are generally more succulent, and veseta'e
better in the spring than those which are
raised from small potatoes, and hence large
potatoes bringing stouter plants are pro-
fcrabie 10 very small slips.
The product per acre may be varlously
estimated. From two TO three hundred
bushels arc commonly produced. My
father has raised upwards of five hundred
bushels of good potatoes 10 the acre, and
| from two 10 three hundred bushels has
been an average crop with him. They
were of The dark motled variety usually
called The Spanish potatoe, which for a
general crop, we consider best, though any
and every sort should be cultivated, which
are regarded of good quality, and as there
are perhaps more than twenty approved
varieties. We are not advocates of any par
licular one. The yams suit sandy loca-
ion, whilst the dark Spanish would sue
ced better on clay soils. There are sew
eral varieties with rcd skin, which are
much esteemed by some. The variety
known as the Bermuda" are perhaps
the best early variety. and for This reason,
a portion OF the crop should be planted Of
them, or some other iavorite variety. There
appears to he only two distinct varieties of
the yam, the yellow and white. Both
should bo cultivated By putting the slips in
beds and drawing the sprouts as they
appear ab,ve the ground, aud planting
them in ridges. In this way, but com:
parativcly small number Of slips are re-
quired of this variety; for all other varic-
ties of the sweet potato, we would advise
to plant tie root itself. The yam is casic,
preserved during the winter, aud late in
spring is of better flavor than Of The other
varieties.
NV friend, Col r. +. w. Allson, Of
Georgetown, during the past season, tried
an experiment, which, as it is new, and
upon the whole, has succeeded admirably,
will notice here. The land was laid off
in beds four feet apart. aud upon these the
seed were planned, by laying Them on the
level ground eight inches apart, and GOV.
cred over with" tailings," (lhe straw. sc.
blown off in winnowing rice. 10 the depth
of a foot, In consequence Of the severe
drought Of The past spring,lhe stand proved
a very bad one, The sprouts appearing at
a. distance of one, two, and three feet
apart. The prospect, be says, for crop,
was very meagre, until The month of July,
when the plants which were standing,
grew of with vigor quite remarkable.
In consequence Of the drought, n little earth
was drawn upon the beds once, and The
grass which showed itself was once Picked
of. The potatoes were taken up the Sc
cord week in November, and they yielded
2S3 bushels of excellent roots to the acre,
several of which were exhibited AT the An
niversary meeting of our State Agricul.
lural Society, weighing from 10 6'pousds.
They were yams.
Our plan for preserving potatoes is sim
pie. A circular bed is formed S or 10 feet
in diameter this is raised foot above the
surrounding surface to insure its being dry;
on which we place dry pine straw. corn
stalk, or pine bark; in the centre of this,
we sci upright blank tube with great
number Of bolcs bored in the sides; around
this lube The potatoes are piled up until
the cone is completed within few inches
of lherop Of the tube, when ti.ey are COW
cred up with coru stalks, pine straw, &c,
and lastly with earth FIVE or six inches
thick. The tube may be closed in frosty
weather BY wisp Of straw. During mild
weather it hould be oponed in order 10
allow the dted air arising from decay Or
| hr,,.ol With fbio