The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1853-04-20
A8riGnltnral
Is sloth indulgence tits n toll,
Enervates man and damns the soil.
Young.
From The Soil of The South.
Planting The Sweet Potato.

Mr.. Editor: consider myself warm
advocate of improvement in Agriculture;
and as the season for planting the Sweet
Potato has returned, and having two
weeks past, planted about sixty bushels
OF seed to draw from, will give you my
plan Of planting. Ii the land is stiff, l
have 1t deeply plowed, with very narrow
scooters, then have wide furrow deep
with a turn piow, run three feet and a
halt apart, pouring in the seed not cut,
us dIlll garden peas: generally two and
three, side and side, covering with turn
pow from each side Of the drill, to prevent
the seed being pulled up in drawing out
to plant; as the seed are not cut, they
vegeta;e quicker generally plant draw
erS about the middle of April; and plant
ing as many bushels Of seed as stated,
at two drawings can plant my principal
crop OF from six to ten acres. When you
wish large sized yams, you must plant
your drawers early. Vines are good for
small potatoes, and for seed. Cowpen
land, or trod as some term it, though
very productive, the Potato will not keep
as well as when cultivated in the natural
soil, nor will the Spanish and other kinds
that yield well from the seed; such l use
first. The Spanish yield we'll from the
drawer here. have Haytien yam, that
produce abundantly from the drawer,
and they grow large, and keep better than
the old yam; they are easy to live; the
vine Is superior to any other class for
hogs and cattle.
For early use, say in July. plant the
Spanish, and class of the red out and
yellow within, in hills; they produce better
IN hills,and are not subject to be DESTROYED
6oy the mele, as if planted in ridges OF
els Of potatoes 6 6ST ssSera eSnaTsd sash ss
an important crop. In loose soil, they
come to maturity earlier, if it is not too
poor, than in stiff scotland that will
not yield more than ten bushels of corn
per acre, will produce two hundred
bushels Of potatoes-the quantity depends
much upon the soil and seasons. A
congenial soil gives, when the seasons
suit, five to six hundred bushels per acre.
plant drawers in ridges, each drawer
about eight inches apart, and, if in beds
that are wide, have double row put
in. / put them up in hills of from fifty to
eighty bushels. The following is my plan.
| have thick batch, as l term it, of
pine straw on the top of the ground,
then dry pole, sharponed at one end,
driven down in the centre Of the straw,
and around it, the potatoes are put in
pyramidal shape, then have dry corn
stalks placed around, then pine bark, and
lastly earth, and the thickest earth on the
North side, then have the pole drawn
out OF the centre, to admit air to the bot
tom, and finally good clapboard covers,
'ver all my hills: a cap of pine bark
covers the hole on the .op, where the
pole is pulled out. We are cutivating
and have been for eight or nine years,
wheat, and successfully. l have painted
already about eighty acres of corn, the
first is coming up, planted the l4th of
Fcbruary-shall plant long staple cotton
next week, and the week following the
Banana.
Respectfully, yours,
DAVID l.. WHITE. NJ. ID.
Quincy, Fla., March 2, 1853.