The true Democrat., 1857-03-31
Sweet PJtat0e.. ultiVatiOn < nd Manage


 The sweet potato Is here considered to be almost as indispensable as the common sort My hot bed last year, was 60 feet long by 10 feet wide. l design the next spring to enlarge it three fold. My mode Is to place logs on a sloping piece of ground, say ten or twelve feet apart l then drive small stakes, or pegs three feet apart, and eight inches high. The object is 10 have not more than seven or eight inches depth of manure which should be fresh horse dung, a mixture of hay, straw, corn-fo idcr, etc. trampled down level with the top of the pegs then put coat of loam, three inches deep upon the top of the manure, which an swers for the dressing the subsequent year then place my tubers on, cover them from two to three inches deep, and then lay on boards, so as to keep them elfectuaily covered from rain or cold until the plants are up. During the day, l let them have the sun, until l am sure they cannot be injured by the frost. sometimes water them, but not before the heat has somewhat subSded in the bed, which l ascertain by putting my forefnger through the covering A very little warmth from beneath is sufficient; there is more to be apprehended from too much than too little. Some place a covering of saw-dust on top of the bed; but this is entirely unnecessary. In this latitude, the beds should be made as early as the l0,h or 2Oth of April The plants will be ready for drawing, from the Sth t. the 20th of May.
 select ground for sowing the tubers that will produce good com. To manure just be- fore planting will cause the plants to run to vines. Good lOam with or without sand, such as we call "sccond years land," lying to the sun, yields best. It need not necessarily be sandy, to produce the greatest yield on the contrary, good loamy land produces tuber> of the best flavor. l plough the ground well, when dry, and barrow thoroughly. l. would even be better to cross plough it. Then, l throw two q moles" together, about four feet apart and see that the ground Is mell pull verized, in order that the list may be clear from clods, sodS, or trash, and that the land is in the best order to receive the plants. The time for transplantin5 is when the ground Is what we call dry" The mode of planting is to make hole with the hand, or otherwise, of the proper depth to receive the youn% plant; and when 1t Is placed in the hole, l pour n half gill of water so that the earth may set tie round the fbrous roots; then l draw the dry earth around the plant, and compress il d little with hoe. h less than twenty-four hours, the plant will be as vigorous as though it had never been moved. On good land, inc distance of the plants apart should be from Is to 20 inches; for this land &5 inches will be sufficient They yield. in this section, from 100 to 15O bushels to the acre. should state that the plants require to be hoed about as much as corn. The vines should be thrown on the ridges, out of the way while dressing In digging, l use a large, long, flat, three tined dungfork, to throw the tubers out of the ground. When dug, l spread them to dry and wilt somewhat preparatory to putting them up for winter which requires much care. My place for keeping is a celar-klchen. I pack them in boxes of dry sand, placing scanting upon the floor for the boxes to rest upon. l keep the sand from year to year, and sometimes have it kiln-dried