The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1867-05-11
SyYectPOtatO Culture.
ny W. W. RATHBoNE, MARIETTA, OHIO.

! Inc ieilo" -SahStHlonu Is tue Only Varle
ty worthy OF general culture in the Northern
and Middle States. Ofrobust habit it ma
lures early, and is fit for the table as soon
as Of sufficient size. Soil is poor that will
not produce remuneratve crops OF corn and
Irish potatoes. Yet | have grown 1929
bushels Of Nansemonds per acre, without
manure, on a side hill, the same land hay.
ing failed in corn and Irish potatoes.
Soil AND PREPARATION. Sandy and gra.
velly soils are generally selected and many
think other soils will not answer. / have
not rod of sandy soil, and grow fifteen
acres per annum. My soil is mellow, if
properly treated-very cloddy, if misman-
aged by blowing when wet.
have produced good crops on red clay
land, and raise annually several acres on Il
yellow loan. Where the soil is poorest.
with very hard sub-soil, the Nansemonds
grow OF a rounded form, while in the rich.
er, deeper and meilower soil they are more
elongated. There is many field laid by
as too poor for corn or wheat, or, as many
would say, good only for beans, that would
F.! produce excellent sweet potatoes. with but
a slight dressing of we'll rotted manure, and
I leached or nnleached ashes. On no other
crop does manure tell so plainly. The
! sweet potato is well adapted to thin soils,
especially as it is not an exhaustive CROP
| | have known it to be raised fifteen years on
the same plot Of land showing no diminu,
| ton of yield. The coating of vines seems
| to add more to the soil than is extracted by
the potatoes. On rich soils too much vine
| is produced at the expense of the roots.
| By saving none hut the largest potatoes
! Tor planting, ! notice constant Increase in
! the yield per acre. a. Tor fifty years the
small and refuse potatoes have been saved
| for seed the wondcris that crop can be
raised at all.
a southern aspect is best, yet any other
will answer. | always prefer rolling land
and in many years experience iii cultivat
/ ing side hills, | entirely dissent from the
! practice almost universally recommended
by writers. viz; Make the ridges run
parallel to the hill to avoid washing" 1t
is nonsense to try to dam up the quantity Of
water that falls in our summer showers.
! My experience with the Sweetpotato PROV
es it best to get rid of all surface rate, as
500" as poSSjble Therefore. run the ridges
! from top to bottom Of all inclnations. in
order that each ditch may carry its own
water, and the quantity will never be sufh
cient to do much damage.
| In very light soils, especially if sandy
ridges are by many preferred to hills; but on
loamy and clayey soils make hills by all
means. prefer them in all cases. because
| you are more certain of a good crop; the
| sun, teaching all sides of the hill, rpens
| the potatoes sooner: more bushels OF targe
potatoes can be had aud early in the sea.
! son the large tnbcrs can easily be lonnd, by
the bursting Of the hills, and grabbed:
which, If the operation be done by first cut.
| ting the potato loose before pulling, is a
! positive benefit TO those remaining. | have
| thus passed over crop three times before
| digging, and finally taken out large potatoes
on the 10th OF October that were very small
on the Goth Of September.
Many who attempt sweet potato growing
make great ridgeS, 2! or feet broad at the
base: and some ilat,en them on the top,
fearing drought. Better throw away the
plants al once than place them in ORION such
a mass Of earth,
New MoDE OF MAKING RpGEs. For
twelve years followed the stereotyped plan
| ,F I hrn, rf hanv f,rr l,ar
a two horse team; it was killing work, and
made crooked rows. high. years ago in.
| vented an easy method, by which ridges
can be made as straight as the ulyow by
marking out pillow. This has been worth
much to me, as by it many more hills can
| be planted per acre. and experienced grow
ers know that the narrow ridges give the
greatest product
From the lSt to the 18th of May, when
danger OF hard fross is over, the land hav.
ing been plowed. narrowed AND rolled,
should be ridged.
With,wo horses and a plow, turning a
furrow slice to the right hand, begin on the
left hand side of the field, throwing fur
row as the team passed down the hill
Drive back to place Of beginning without
blowing. Set the clevis over to the extreme
left of the beam. The near horse is now to
walk in the furrow first made, while the off
horse walks on the land to be ridged, and
the pillow is held Of to follow, cutting along
and taking off part of the first iurrow slice,
leaving ridge as you go, never to be over
eighteen inches in diameter at the base. -
When at the foot Of the hill, come back,
dressing up lightly in the same furrow-i. {.
the one last passed down in, letting the near
horse walk in the last furrow, and the of
horse in the next one to the right. When
passing up Hill crooked places can be
' Strengthened.
This mode of making ridges will be valu
able to all persons who wish to ridge land
in autumn, to expose it to the action oil frost
or for acration can expose four acres
per hiem, by going entirely round the field
the return iurrow would be useless. And
more; can make the ridges sharp Two feet
from tip to tip, and therefore more readily
permea,ed by frost and air.
americdn iGriculinrist.
|
Bsis" A pair of lovers fleeing from stern
and cruel parents we're married in the cars