Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1870-04-20
The Sweet Potato---Brief Directions for
Planting and Cu!tivating.

SOIL.
Select rolling or well drained land. Its
an error to suppose, as many do, that sandy
or prayelly soils only will do. Any soil
that can be made and kept mellow from
May to September, will do. New land Is
first rate. 1t is a common error to select
land too rich--such as old garden plots.
such locations produce too much vine.
Side hills too poor for a good corn crop will
often prove the best of locations Such
side hills, however, almost invariably need
MANURE.
1t should be well rotted and may be APP
piled in hill or broadcast. On heavy lands
use anything that will loosen the soil, such
as ashes and leaf mould.
HILLS OR RIDGES?
On very light soils ridges will do On
loamy clayey soils make hills by all means.
| prefer them in all cases l. You are more
certain of crop. 2. The potatoes ripen
earlier. 3. More bushels of large tubers
can be obtained; and, 4. Early in the sea,
son, the large potatoes can easily be found
by the bursting of the hills, and grabbed
without injury to the crop.
The first idea that presents itself to many
who attempt sweet potato raising, is great
ridge. In fact the first attempts OF the
mass of cultivators of this much-neglected
esculent, are of such nature as to bring
ridges five and six feet from center to CEN
ter of plant acres, and the tips of hills only
measure % #. each way, and tend with
horses. This makes hills the proper size.
They should in no case exceed IT.; ana "a
Is better Make the hills as high as possi-
BILE dry weather never hurts sweet pota-
toes The very weight of earth in large
hills and ridges prevents the growth of POI
tatoes, and accelerates that of the vines.
PLANTING.
About the 18th of May, when danger of
frost is over, we begin setting out plants,
and continue until July. Put one plant
per hill, and Is inches apart in ridges. Set
deep enough to have two or three buds be-
low the surface, if cut down by worms they
will grow anew. Never set when the
ground is too wet to WORKOUT the plants
In the cellar with earth on the roots and
wait. Choose a cloudy day, or afternoon
after O'clock or early in the morning
especially foggy ones. Do not wait for
rain. 1t is a common error to set plants. in
a muddy time. l plant very fast, thus
One to drop plants--one to pour water
never omit the water-and two or three to
set. Make a hole large enough to hold the
roots, insert the plant at the same time the
water is being poured, fill the hole quickly
with mellow earth without pressing. Do
not use so much water as to have it run
over the top of the hole; finish off with
dry earth. Never water again it is worse
than useless. The philosophy of setting
thus is: the water performs the triple pur-
| pose of floating the fibres into horizontal
position-carrying the fine earth among
them, and putting the water in the only
| place needed.
AFTER CULTURE.
After every rain, as soon as the land Is
dry enough to work break the crust in
close contact with the plants. l do this
rapidly with both housekeeping raising
and pressing the earth on tips of the hills.
A smart boy can thus hoe" 1000 plants
per hour. 1t answers all the purposes of q
regular hoeing while the plants are young
breaking up ant holes, and giving life to
the plant. Keep the surface clear of weeds.
Be careful not to hoe too deep. The best
potatoes lie Immediately below the surface.
Never cut off vines. If they root at joints
lift them on sunny days. Dig before frost
and put in a warm dry place to keep.
The above directions are given by w
w. Rathbone, celebrated gardener and
nurseryman of Marietta, Ohio, and he says
that if they are faithfully followed, sweet
potatoes can be raised with profit on any
farm in Ohio, Kentucky or Tennessee.
Il