Western union. (City of Hannibal, Mo.) 1850-1851, 1850-11-21
From the Dollar Newspaper"
Sweet Potatoes.

Having been for some time an interested rea-
der Of the agricultural department Of the dol.
lar Newspaper" have thought that il may not
be improbable 10 offer, through your columns.
some suggestions, together with little praoti-
cul experience, relative to the culture Of the
sweet potato 10 comparatively Northern lati
tudes. All may NOT deem il a matter OF such
importance, or think the vegetable so great
luxury as myself, but those who do, will con
slider themselves more than compens ated for the
care and attention necessary for their protection
Sweet potatoes can be grown in perfection Is
far north as Latitude az degrees, and probably
farther, by carefully pursuing The following di-
rsctions :-Ons Of the mos. difficult pnrts of
the process 10 preserving the seed through
the winter. II will not do to put them in a
cellar that never freezes, for the dampness OF a
common cellar is as fatal the lross Of winter.
To obviato this, the smaller potatoes are selec-
ted, (bccause they are more hardy and not so
liable to rot as the larger ones, and picked
perfectly dry, in n box, with sand also perfectly
dry. II sand connot be obtained entirely free
from moisture, itshould be rendered so by means
Of fire heat and the box containing them should
be kept ina dry, warm room. In the spring
we must no! wait till the ground is warm, and
then plant the potatoes where they are 10 be
grown, as is done at the South, but in the latter
part Of march, fill u box to the depth Of one and
a-half or two feet with fresh horse stable ina
nure and spred over il three or four inches of
rich loose earth, and in this plant the potatoes
close together, for the purpose ofrai.ing Pianis
This bed should be exposed To the sun IN the
day time, and covered with cloth or blanket al
night TO keep of the Frost About the 10Th Of
May, the plants will be OF sufficient size, and
as soon as there is no more danger from frost,
may be transplanted to tho ground where we
wish to grow the potatoes. The manner Of
preserving the seed during the winter, and pre-
pairing the ho'-bed to furnish the plants, give
on the authority ola neghbor Of mine. who
pays great attention 10 gardening, and furnishes
the "region round about" here with swee, po.
tato plants, at twenty five cents per hundred
My experience on the subject is this -: Last
spring, about the 10Th Of May, | selected a
corner ofmy garden, lying considerably inclin-
ed towards the souh west, the sail Of which is o
dry ard some what sandy loan, and threw it up
in hills ten inches in height, and Mree feet
apart each way. procured two hundred plants
and set them out two plants, six or eight inches
apart ON each hill. There was a gentle rain
about the time of setting them ou:, that not
more than half dozen of them died. | hoe d
them twice, taking care to keep the hills perfect
" tOpiuCiiS as muCH eaTtn Us was uTdWu u
way in hoeing up the weeds. This was all tina
care bestowed on them, except going through
them once il the month Of August. and lifting
the vines to prevent tl,'ir attachment to the
ground forming potatoes in other places than
the hills.
We have been digging and using the pc.
tatoes for more than Il month past, so that
have not measured the whole product
but by counting some OF The hills and meas
uring the potatoes obtained from them,
found that ten to twelve hills would yield
u bushel; consequently at n fair estimate
the product Of one hundred hills set ou
with two hundred plants, would be eight
or ten bushels ofgood, dry and mealy swee,
potatoes as large and as good as any that
have for years past been brought to ON
market from the South, and sold for 81 tt
81 25 per bushcl. A great proportion o
these | raised will exceed foot in length
and several measure ten or twelve inches
in circumference.