The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1869-05-13
farm mlo 6ouseboIo.
Sweet Potato Culture.

Sweet Potato Culture.
1T is now about twenty years since Mr..
Davenport planted sweet potatoes at Long
Neck, Staten Island. This was the earliest
attempt to raise this esculent in the vicini-
ty of New York, or in the Northern States.
OF course, neighbors were incredulous,
and Mr.. Davenport himself seems to have
met with such moderate success as led soon
to discontinuance of the attempt. But a
MIR. Hancock went on with the expert
ments, and at last he established the fact
that the sweet potato could be grown
with advantage in the colder climate and
of q quality rivalling the crops of Virginia
or the Carolinas. He sold plants quite ex-
tensively, and the increasing demand in
duced others, both on the Island and in
Monmouth and other counties in New Jer-
sly, to embark in the same enterprise.
Now thousands of bushels are raised each
season for the Metropolitan market, and
the business is extending its proportions.
The method of culture is simple. The
crop is raised from slips pulled from the
potato, the potato having been first placed
in hot bed one month before The man.
ner Of growing them in a hotbed is as
follows:
Make the hot-bed the same as you would
to raise tomatoes or egg plants, with the
exception that one inch of dirt is suffi-
cent covering for the manure. Over this
place the sweet potatoes (small ones are
preferably so they cover just one half the
space; or, in other words, one barrel
should be placed in a bed six feet wide by
seventeen and one half feet long five
sashes, six by three and one half feet) !;
then cover the potatoes one inch deep. In
about two weeks the sprouts will begin to
show through the ground, then cover
again with one inch Of soil till they show
themselves again, when the covering may
be repeated the same as before, making
three inches of soil, which will be suffi-
clent. AS to watering, great care should
be used, and the ground should not be-
come thoroughly wet, as in most cases it
would rot the potatoes. Neither should it
become so dry that they will not sprout.
Here practice only can tell the true
amount of water TO be used. The tenn
perature is of the utmost importance, as
many of the old growers will tell you,
and the heat should never be allowed to
get higher than 800. One hour of hot sun
will entirely rot and ruin them. In one
instance, | remember, by the carelessness
OF help, had eight barrels cooked to a
peellDg condition, and had to replace
them by other potatoes, at cost of eight
dollars per barrel. The soil is an essen
! tial part for the hot-bed, and should be OF
a sandy nature. Heavier soil bakes and
retards the sprouting. After the sprouts
are sufficiently large, remove the sashes,
and they will be sufficiently hardened in
three days to bear transplanting in the
, Hnld flor ths.r h.ac 4, l.
replaced and second crop of plants pro-
duced.
After the potato sprouts, plenty oil
water should be given to make a rapid
growth. For the last few years some Of
the larger growers are giving up hot
beds in the cultivation Of such plants, anG
are raising them in houses heated by no,
water. This practice is preferable, be
cause more certain and much less expen
! sive than buying manure, and also on &C
count of the facilities for controlling tht
heat, which cannot be obtained in hot
! bed.
The ground in which the plants are t
be set should be plOwed very shallow (no
more than four inches) as soon as the sol
IS 10 suitable cOndltion-the earlier thu
better. Then leave it till time of planting
I "
June, then strike the burrows with corr
pillow, making burrows three and a hal
feet apart; alter which place the manur,
in the burrows, spreading it along to ever
| thickness; the manure may be the sam,
as that used for corn on Irish potatoes
Il compost OF hOrse-manure with barnyart
and hog manure L find best. Then take
twO-horse plow and cover the furrow from
each side, throwing the soil directly owe
the manure as high as practicable. Ther
smooth the ridge with hoe, and set tn,
plants sixteen inches apart, either way
just before or just after shower, or on al
overcast day. The attention required i
the same as that of common potatoes, ex
cept when the vines begin to run they
must be kept from roofing in the rows, q
this takes away the substance from tn,
hill.
The above is adapted only to loamy
soil; those who have a sandy soil mus
not give the same treatment | hav,
found that it pays well to put sand in tn,
hills where the ground is little heavy
Hearth and Home.