The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1853-04-30
misrcllaneous.
From the Prairie Farmer
Cultivatin: and Keeping sweet Potatoes


II will write what know" Sweet Potatoes,
"Canvooulus batotas" is said to be native oi
the East Indies but now it is cultivated IN all the
warm parts Of the globe, and has produced nu'
mrrous varieties. The r~ts are usually spindle
shaped and iarinarcous the vines are hcihl
c,oi,s. taking root at intervals the leaves are
h,state (croslbow shapcdl and Consequently three
Libed The flowers. which are rars, are white
externally aud purplish within. In warm eli
mates they are produced almost spontaneously,
Lul in h,gh latiudes their cultivation becomes
more difficult and IN Northern Illinois rnlvone va
rie,y succeeds perfectly, VIZ, the Nansemond,
brownish yellow shur. variety which can Toe
,,rown rs Er Nrth rs the large varieties Of lnd
nm corn succeed perfectly. Seeds or sprouts OF
til, variety can bc obtained Of Mr. klnnSy #
Rock Island Its.
CrrriyArrox.- bout the eO,h Of March dig a
hole Xix feet long. three feet wide, and eighteen
inches deep FIJI II up to the surface uf the ground
with hot OF unirrmcnted horse manure Make n
bux of board, ten inches vida exactly the &c Of
tho hole. to be- placed over II iayis- the North
side higher thar the other for tie benefit Of sun
light and convenience Of covering It. Throw
loose garden earth To the depth If six inches IN
the maj re then cover carefully with hay r
straw and shelter from the rair or snow which ne
0ucnlly come at this sesor. plNre light manure
litter or hay closely outside the box 10 prevent
the escape Of heat. A soon as the loose Garth
feds warm to your hand, which viii be ~ two or
three DAVIS put ~ your sweet potatoes as com
ptCtly a. they can be placed; TO d. Which VIII
icquur nearly bushrl To- fill your sd. Here
should be THREE inches of earth between the pota-
toes and the mapure. and thee inches oysr
them II the bed SHOULD smoke or appear very
hot the hay should be rem wed for a tine, say.
fv. fynb otl fur u i I
thu bed should be- freely exposed to the bright
rays Of the sun Continue to keep 1t covered du-
ring the night until about the l., May, when The
plants or sprout, will be- ready To- st out Al
that time, If your bed has been well managed,
the sprouts will be as thick on the ground AZ the
hair on a dog back. Each plant will haze M
merous fibrous roots and he ready fnr an lndepcr-
dent existence Pinch them car,tIlly from tic
potato and plant three or four in h.ll Tie bills
Should be- three OF four leet apart, AMI the sePa
rate plants ten inches from each other. The sol
in which they are planted must be made perfectly .
loose to the depth Of ten inches or more. Any
land which will produce good corn Will Also pro /
duce good sweet potatoes. II matters Io'
whether the earth is loosened bya plough or
spade. So that it is sufficiently mellow. LrrGs
bullock. or high ridges may rletse The cu'u'aior
but they d. no, elcfii the potatoes any. Tie at
common potato
Saving the seed during viute-, Immediately
r fer the vines ATE killed By tie frost. Of as;umn
the potatoes should be dug; they should he very
carefully handled to avoli brui,ing tlem more
especially, zach as are desi-nel for seed. These
should be Immediately dried in the -h,de and
packed away IN boxes not more than ten inches
deep, bu, Of any len.' h or width repaired. BE
sure that vOsr boxes are no, more 'han ten inches
deep. Dry sand ehaff saw dust, and many Oh
er similar things have been used with more Or
less success in keeping sweet potatoes. Dry dust
swept I'd from cur road. in ,he DRY weather II
autumn is better than any thing sl,e. Take one
of the boxes above mentioned; cover the bottom
half an irch thick with dust place q LAYER Of
sweet potatoes this dust a. closely a. they can
be packed, then cover them with dust, complete.
ly filling all the intersies'; continue IN this msn
nsr placing alternately layer OF dust aud lay.
eroi sweet potatoes until the box Is iull, putting
ibese boxes must be put in a very dry room
where they will not be subject to n degree Of cnld
much below the freezing point Of water A dc
gree Of cold sufficient to freeze zee half a, inch
thick, If continued only for FIVE or six hour, will
not ,nlgre them as the dust isA verv poor con.
dus'or OF cold. In Any small, tight room. IN
tt,rs, through which stove pipe goes &C sra i.
hePs up uuiHp INC gay w tnc stOFe) IheV VIII
not freeze Cellars arc almost invariably too
damp for in nem the dust will attract no .ture
nsd the the potatoes rot Any room H. which
Hour or meal can be- kept without musng will be
sufficiently dry. When put up as above directed,
tho ordinary heat Of any sitting room will not
lnJare them even il they vYs KEEP, in it for
months. pihlies AMI other tender dubious
rosts can bc successfully kept during the via
ter rs abnve directed. | have practls,d a.,
above directions for years without a single
failure indeed, have not lost a peck oct #
ten ba'hcls the quantity ! put up for seed
last winter II the above direction. are care.
fully attended To. success in kecpin, the
Sweet Potato i, certain.
REcArHULArloN list. The boxes in whish
he potatoes are put must not bo msre than
len or at most twelve inches deep, i, matters
not how long or how wide they arc. Pat up
n deep bores or barrels h,y viH i,tga,i ubtg
rot. One box may be piled up n another TO
my desirable hight If the alr eau circulate freely
between them,
Pad, Tia dus, in which they are packed mus.
be perfectly dry--th the dricr the better.
Ord, The Room ~ VIII ch they are hep. mrs. to-
dry enough to have -four Lcp, in it without
iih' The boxes must not, at any time be sub |
lecl to greater degree Of cold Than would fre,s
ice half an inch thicF, aud even to that for f.r
hours only
9Th, oivest the subject Of all mystery and use
practical common sense.
y. S. CoorrR, VI. d.
Henderson Knox Co. His March 10Th ls5s 1