Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-05-11
From the Southern Cultiva;or.
The Sweet Potato,

The Sweet Potato
MEssRs. ED1roRs.-In the first place, as
early in February as the season will admit, OF
by the first of March at furthest, spade out 4
trench, say feet wide, % feet long and II
inches deep, then fill the trench with good
sound cotton seed, which prefer, or fresh
stable manures, we'll forked, so that the long
may be equally distributed with the short
wet it very freely with water, or let it remain
few days if there is prospect OF rain; when
the ground becomes sufficiently dry to be
worked, cover the cotton seed or manure
with well pulverized earth to the depth of 5
or 6 inches, rake smoothly and evenly, and
then carefully lay down your seed so as not
TO touch each other; when the bed is full
{this size will bed 10 bushells) cover the po.
tatoes with we'll pulverized earth to the depth
of 4 inches, rake smooth and cover with cot
ton seed about inches deep, hoe up the
earth all round the bed and pack with the
spade, this keeps ia the heat) When the
weather gets warm and settled. remove the
cotton seed from the top Of the bed and rake
slightly this gives fine, smooth surface
for the sprouts to come through. Yourbed
will soon be covered with sprouts growing
very luxuriantly. You can hasten aud great
ly improve the productiveness Of the he'd if
you will keep it wet with soap.suds, (the re-
fuse of the wash-tub) always pouring it on
the bed at sundown, (no other time). This
makes the best hot.bed for potatoes have
ever used.
As early as the ground will admit, plow
the piece you design for potatoes very close
and deep, and keep it regularly plowed, al
ternately each and every two weeks. When
your slips in the bed are well grown, lay of
the ground with long bull.tongue in rows
3 feet apart, then, with a turning plow, ridge
over the burrows as high assthe plow will
throw; then pull your slips from the bed and
set them out on the top Of the ridge very deep,
and press on each side of the plant always
promising that your ground is broken very
deep and free from clods and in good tlth
before ridging up the ground in dry weather,
but when the earth is moist. Iprefer setting
plants out in the evening late, when the earth
is moist, than after rain, and watering a
few evenings-a half teacup(ul of water will
be sufficient for plant. Set. your plants
Is inches apart in the ridge. Always make
your ridges so that they will hold the water,
and not run off.
Now tor the cultivation--in about two
weeks you must pow down your ridges,
leaving only a sufficiapcy of dirt to support
the plant. Plow deep and thoroughly with
bull.toungo, then follow Immediately with
your Carey or turning piow' and, throw the
dirt up to the plant dnd@fnish your ridge as
at frst-this must be done every two weeks
as long as the vines. will admit.and very
frequently break the vines, in order that
deep, loose soil may be had for the formation
of roots. This is all the cultivation necessa-
ry-a hoe is not needed.
When the frost kills the leaves, proceed
to dig, using the plow, the bull,tongue,
breaking down the ridge on each side, and
then, with one deep furrow, blowing out the
roots. gather in baskets, say a bushel at
u time, and carry to an open shed,-being
careful not to bruise or break the roots-frst
the largest and soundest, and then the small
lest for seed, and lastly, the broken ones;
pour down on the ground, under the shed, in
separate piles of about 30 bushels when you
are done, covor with straw, each pile, sepa.
rately, and then cover, completely, each pile,
but separately, with dry dirt foot thick,
and all is over. Your potatoes will keep as
long as you want them, perfectly sound.
Use the broken potatoes first, commencing
at the top of the pile. BY putting only 30
bushels in heap you will be better enabled
to consume them before injury can take
place from exposure to air and light. You
must have a good shed open to the south
and inclined to the north. This is my meth.
cd after 20 years experience; always have
sound potatoes, and have to supply seed eve-
ry year to my neighbors at dollar bushel.
l do not claim any thing for this plan exclu-
sively, for there way be others equally as
good; all am afraid of is, that too little
attention is paid to their production and cul-
tivation, and preservation. The great ma.
iority of my roots would weigh from 3 to S
pounds. The bed before described would
set out two acres at two settings. Getty
sprouts as soon as possible and set out.
Iprefer the red yam or African, which will
produce twice as many as any other, and
will keep longer and better, and is of much
larger growth. | only cultivate the two va
rieties of yams-the red and yellow. Four
hundred bushels to the acre can be easily
raised.
have thought that the red or African yam
would be an excellent root for hogs. Plant
about five acres; lay off the ground as for
cotton, then cross, and between the furrows,
covering the ridge, drop potato and cover
with the hoe; cultivate. aud when grown
fence an acre 10 itself and let in your hogs;
when they have used up the acre fence in
another, and so on, until they use up the patch.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
GEORGE D. NORRIS.
New Market, Ala, March, 1854.
EvcelIent copyinr ink NAV he made by