Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-10-02

SWEET POTATOES We have been tOid
that sweet potatoes could not be raised IN
Minnesota. This is all humbug. we SET
out 400 plants in June, and for three weeks
past have been luxuriating on as good sweet
potatoes as ever grew in Indiana or Ken
lucky. We planted them, too, on new
ground, in clayay soil containing very niue
sand. We neither MANFRED nor watered the
plants. and they received but one hoelng:
Sweet potatoes planted in proper soil ana
carefully cultivated, will, we believe, produce
as we'll in Minnesota as in Arkansas or Lou
sana.-ROchester Dem.
On Friday, in the streets of this city,
Mr.. MARTIN ID. CLARKE, one of the Oldest
citizens of ST. Paul, now farmer about SIN
miles out in Ramsey county, showed us lot
of sweet potatoes weighing about three
pounds each, the product OF his farm the
past season. These were OF the white varie-
tv, but he has raised also of the yellow kind
with equal success and altogether, about
one hundred bushels. Such facts as these
are better vindication of Minnesota from
the imputations against its agricultural ca
pacity OF account of alleged shortness or
GOODNESS of its seasons, than thousand theo-
.ies. or than even thermOmetrical or barom-
ctical tables would be- These potatoes are
as fine as any we ever saw raised on the sands
of New Jers y-and are sweet, firm in tex
ture and mealy. In word, whether in the
production of sweet or common white pOta-
toes, Minnesota cannot be surpassed, if equal
ed.
This is now the 9th of September, and
there have already been severe and destruc-
tive frosts in the more southern States, yet in
our gardens all around this city, the shrubs
and flowers look as fresh and beautiful in
thair gay, enameled cOlOrs as in midsummer.
Ignorant persons at distance seem to be
unconscious of the climatic facts of Mime
sofa, and are constantly boremg us about the
| shortness of our seasons, which are in fact,
for a season of growth and for mau,ing veg
etable products of all kinds, as long as in any
of the Middle, Eastern and Northern States !;
and the crops of various kinds ale also at
tended here with fewer vicissitudes in their
growth and maturity, and strangest Of all to
strangers, are not subject to the premature
| frOsts so often destructive to vegetation in
the Middle States. This is attributed by
some to our being in an electric 1elt, extend
ing from the Gulf of Mexico northwardy
across Lake Superior to HudSon'S Bay
which with our altitude above the ocean, gives
US a peculiarly favorable climate both for
health and the certain fertility of our SOIL
! While we arc on the subject of vegetation,
word about tobacco. We saw in our streets
the other day, wagon load of the weed
from the farm near this city, of our townsman,
WIN. E. AMEs, Esq. 1t was fully ripencd.-
the leaves were large, and by judges were
pronounced of excellent quality This was
only an experimental crop. The seed was
procured from Connecticut. We have heard
of other experiments equally successful.
1t will not be long, we hope, before we will
raise tobacco enough in Minnesota for our
own consumption, a I'd thus save tens of thou
sands of dollars which are annually drained
from our means to purchase this necessary
luxury for our citizens.
These facts, and thousand others, are
demonstrating-no mistake about it-that
Minnesota is one of the best agricultural
States of the Union, and has no superior.