The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-05-07
Is Last weeks Hearth and Home has
the following on
Planting Potatoes.

~ Last week deQrH ana home mas
the following on
Planting Potatoes.
AS to what kind any man shall plant,
we have little to say. Each grower thinks
his the best-upon the same principle, nc
doubt, that each crow thinks it's own young
the blacklist. Early Rose have done well
for us; Early Mehawks are very highly
recommended: the Harrison has its friends
the Early Goodrich bears well the test OF
experience; great many farmers like the
Gleason: the Climax is said to be excellent
and both Bresee's King of the Earlies find
those who say that they are unrivalled.
We have planted the Early Rose for early,
aud if we get nothing better before the
IN iddlc of May, shall put in the Garnet
Chill for late.
The best
for the potato is a warm, dry, and rather
heavy loan; and if it contains vegetable
matter, SO much the better. New lands,
or those on to which muck has been drawn,
generally yield as well as the best.
If the soil is 4 heavy clay, it should be
drained, OF at least plowed deep and the
more complete the pulverization. the better
the crop.
MANURE.
The best manure, take it all in all, fol-
q or ct bar iS hof nd in
a common barn-cellar-manure that is
never wet, and in which the process of fer
mentation is never allowed to reach point
where the material is burnt" as farmers
say, but slowly decomposed.
Thirty large loads to the acre, twenty of
them plowed in, the other ten spread on
the surface, and thoroughly worked in with
the harrow, are none too little. Forty
would be better than thirty.
SEED.
We always plant, and would advise others
to do So, potatoes about the size of hens =
eggs-if they are little smaller, it is just
rs we'll. These are separated from the
larger ones land smaller) in the fall and put
int barrels, so that the eyes are all good,
and the tubers always sound.
These we cut into two pieces always,
SoIhellleS lOui. dlltl dllcT lullOWS
three feet apart-three and one half on
light soils would be better-we drop them,
TWO pieces in hill. and two or two and a
half feet apart in the row. The furrow
should never be over three inches deep if
the soil is fairly moist, and when covered
to a level with the ground, the work is
done.
Bushing over the land afterward is not a
bad plan, as it fills up the burrows if the
soil is very dry; but otherwise, the lighter
the surface, the better. r.
In the same paper "Jerseyman gives
his mode of cultivating ard keeping the
SWEET POTATO.
the sprouts he says
Planting commences the 10th to the Goth
of May and continues from two to four
wee ks. When the time for removal has
nearly arrived, the plants should be exposed
to the open air to harden them for the field.
The sprouts are drawn by taking hold of
but one at a time, and gently extracting it
in order to avoid disturbing the mother
potato, from which. if undsturbed, sec
ond crop may be obtained. A bushel of
good seed properly managed will produce
1900 or 1900 sprouts at the first pulling.
and thrce-fourths as many at the second
Those obtained later are often as good as
the earlier growth. Good, strong. stocky
plants having been obtained, they are rapid
ly and eNpertly transferred to the SOIL
The operator dashing aside the crown OF
the hill or ridge. he thrusts his open hand
into the yielding sand. and with the other
inserts the plant, covers and congresses it.
and if the ground is too dry, waters it. In
a week or two the field must be examined
and re-planted wherever cut-werms OF
other insects larvae may have destroyed
the first setting.
FIELD MANAGEMENT.
The sweet potato requires a sandy soil
or a sandy loan. Land is generally chosen
which has been in corn or vegetable crop
the previous year, though it is common
practice to plant the same ground with
swect-potatoes season after season. In the
latter they seem to grew as well as they do
in freshly chosen ground SO that many
growers adapt their lightest soils CASUALLY
such as are too sandy for white potatoes or
good corn to this purpose. year after year.
Having been plowed as for any ordinary
CROP but not deeply. the ground is furrow-
Ell out with one-horse pillow three feet
each way if to be planted in hills, over
three and half feet apart if in rows, the
pillow running twice i'll the furrow. About
a half a shovelful of well rotted manure
Horse or sheep manure being considered
the besD is then, if for hills, placed at each
intersection of the burrows, and well covered
by hand with hoe. forming the hills
auout a foot high and run to "a point. If
to be grown in rows, the manure is scatter
ed evenly along the row and covered by
turning two good burrows directly upon it.
The field is then ready to receive the plants.
The manure should be applied freely and
of good quality. 1t should have been well
forked over until fine and mellow, to avoid
rs much as possible increasing the evil
effects of drouth by presenting to the plants
their food in Jumps, which readily becomes
dry and unavailable, and which, if once in
that condition, will certainly remain so
throughout the season.
When grown in rows, a larger number of
plants are required than when grown in
hills. Both methods have their advocates,
but if the sprouts are placed from twenty
inches to two feet apart in the row, a bet
ter crop is generally obtained for the same
amount of labor and money expended
Clean culture with the hand-hoe or iron
garden-r rake and the horse-cultivator is now
required until the vines have covered the
ground. About the middle of August, the
ground should be ''tcnded for the last
ime by blowing to the rows or ridges and
cleaning up the balks. To perform this
thoroughly the vines must be loesened
from the soil to which they have attached
themselves by small roots along the main
stem, and turned over or cut Of the way
by means of sticks or by the hand. Before
gathering the crop, the vines are cut off
close to the hill with a sharp hoe The
potatoes are then plowed out and thrown
INTO rows to dry, when they are readily
assorted for market. The return of this
crop varies from 100 to 200 bushels and
upward per acre, the latter being favora-
BILE yield.
PRESERVATION OF swEET-PoTAToEs.
1t is very desirable to have the sweet
potato crop mature as early in the fall as
possible, as they are better and more apt
to keep well. To fit them for preservation,
they must be lifted before the weather
indicates degree of cold sufficient to freeze
the ground, or in this latitude before the
18th Of October. Those intended for win
ter storage should be gathered before any