The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1864-04-21
Sweet Potato Culture.

Sweet Potato Culture.
Sandy SOIL moderately fertile, with
which plenty Of well rotted manure has
been mixed, is better for Sweet Potatoes.
They do we'll on newly cleared land with
out manure, and, even on poor soil,
sometimes produce tolerab'e crop; but
good garden soil is better, as one of my
neighbors proved last year, by growing
seventy five bushels on an eighth Of an
acre, where an old stable once stood
They may be cultivated on clay, aud, in.
deed, on any soil where Irish Potatoes
do well but in all cases the land should
have thorough tiIlage, by deep .plowing
and narrowing well, until the soil is in
fine tlth, and the ground must be natu-
rally dry, or be made SO by draining
Sweet Potatoes will grow when the
hills are dry as dust; hence the yield is
better in dry, hot seasons than in wet
ones. If the land is we'll prepared by
deep culture, it is unnecessary to make
high hills, as they ure only a substitute
for deep plowing.
Where but few are cultivated, the
hills may be prepared with hoe, but 1t
is to, expensive for field culture, requir-
ing four days hard labor to hill an acre.
Everything being ready, the plants
may be set the same as cabb1ge plants.
Better to select a cloudy day, and if the
soil is only moist (Which is bcsD they
should DO watered as set. My method
is this: I have water hauled and placed
in barrels at convenient distances. We
take two rows at n ti."" A boy Goes
first, and drops plant on each hill two
: men follow close after, making funnel,
shaped hole in the top Of each hill with
the right hand, while they hold the plant
in the left, and man before them walk
ing backward with water pot, the nose
off, or bucket Of water and pint cup,
pours in sufficient water, when the earth
. is Immediately hauled in upon the roots
: Of the plant, the hole filled up level, and
: litt!e dry earth upon the top prevents
baking in the sun.
Like most other crops, early planting
is generally the best, or as soon as the
> danger from frost is over; but the plant,
= ing may be continued in Southern Indi-
=, ana from the 10th of May to the lst Of
u July but the yield from late planting il
much less-onc hundred and fifty bush
= els per acre being a good yield where al
d the circumstances are favorable. Wher'
but few plants are wanted, it is best to bul
. them from some one who raises them fol
7, sale. If planted three feet each way, i
u u it will require four thousand eight hun.
J dred aud forty plants to an acre, and
>. will take bushel of potatoes to produc
10 them.
y The most difficult part of Sweet Pots
c, to raising is preserving the seed potatoe
y over winter. They must be packed i
"a "a boxes with dry sand, in such manne
" Ct as to secure ventilation, in dry room
~ where the temperature is not less tha
'y 45o, nor more than 7Oo If colder, the
ne chill and rot; if warm, they sprout an
H. grow. Mr.. Tenbrook, of Parke Co.,
this State, (Ind } has reduced the wiz
"c tering of Sweet Potatoes to systcl
as and with suitable houses and a peculiar
us constructed box, succeeds in keepl'
al' them until spring, as hard and fresh
's, when put away in the falls. BUnSE
'P' in Sueet Potato Culturtst.
ch
+Mr Burnett. soil is light, sandy los
in with porous, gravelly subsoIl, and his rema
:" will be particularly applicable to all similar
nly thin clay soils. On much Of our rich black
.he manuring is injurious to the Sweet Potato, T
u ducing On excess Of vines at the expense Of
tubers