Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-05-21
Sweet Potato Culture.
E. A. Riehl, in Rural World.

Almost any soil will grow swee
potatoes. Some kinds do better OF
certain soils than others; but, on thu
whole, I find all kinds do best OF
rather dry soils containing consid
cradle amount of clay, and if enriched
with manure, the yield will be great
er in proportion. To have the soil
in proper condition at planting time
it should have been ploughed once
or twice during the spring and rolled,
and SO prepared as to be as free from
clods as possible. 1 find it best to
plant in ridges, which should be
about three and half feet from cen
tire to centre, and about fourteen
inches high.
The plants should be dropped but
a short distance ahead of the planters,
ten to fourteen inches apart, Oh fresh
ly-made ridges. The planter should
be provided with a bright, sharp
mason's trowel, which he grasps in
his right hand, straddles the ridge,
picks up plant with his left hand,
pushes the trowel into the earth in q
slanting direction, opens a hole by a
drawing and lifting motion, opening
a space about an inch wide, thrust
the plant in with the left hand, with
draws the trowel and presses the
earth firmly to the plant with the
right hand, putting his weight on the
arm, without letting go the trowel,
and while doing SO picks up another
plant with his left hand, ready to re-
peat the operation.
l have found this the fastest and
every way the best manner Of pro-
ceeding. Great care must be observed
to have the plants well-frmed; the
earth cannot be pressed too firmly to
the roots Of any plant, while if not
well-frmed and dry weather follows,
the plant is almost sure to be lost.
The proper performance of this is
of the greatest importance; without
it, all previous care and expense will
avail nothing. have found it best
and by far the cheapest, never to
allow the weeds to get a start; as
soon after every rain as the soil is fit
to work, the ground should be stirred
with some implement, be it rake, hoe,
plough or harrow, SO as to destroy
the weeds as soon as they have ger
when the least stirring and
a half hours sun will kill beyond
Ny ridges are made
by machine built for the purpose,
hence all are alike, which enables me
to cultivate both sides of the ridges
at one operation with Il steel harrow
made to fit the ridge and drawn by
two horses. The space at the bottom
between the ridges is cleaned by one
passage Of the shovel plough-thus
there is only narrow strip On top of
the ridges to be cleaned by hand
labor. Two or three such workings
are about all that can be accomplish
ed, and are sufficient; by that time
the plants will be growing SO rapidly
as to cover the ground in a short
time and prevent all further growth
Of weeds. Whatever plan or instru-
ment is used, it is of the greatest inn
portance never to let the weeds get
start, as q man can do at least four
times as much while they are under
half an inch high as he can after they
are over two.
Digging is. a costly operation as
performed by many persons. The
best and most expeditions way l have
yet tried is to take large two or
pillow; set it as much to
land as possible; attach rolling
coulter, setting it to land about two
inches; straddle a ridge with your
team and turn it over with. the pillow.
The coulter will cut the vines COM
pletely if kept sharp, and the pillow
inverts the whole ridge. The pota-
toes remain hanging together on the
vine, and the point sticking up, and
by taking hold of one the whole hill
can he pulled up. They should be
broken off from the vines, sorted and
laid in baskets or piles. The greatest
care must be observed not to bruise
the potatoes, as the bruises cause rot
ting soon after.