The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-12-15
IRISH POTATOES.

The potato thrives and produce
best in light, dry, but rich soil. We
land produces coarse unpalatabl
potato, and one of little value ever
as food for cattle. Well decomposet
stable manure is best, but if it canno
be had, cotton seed meal, guano O
any other fertilizer should be used t,
make the ground rich enough.
you wish large well-forlned roots
Do not plant small ones always Sc
lect the best; cut them in pieces
preserving three eyes on each piece
you will then have strong healthy
vines and roots. 1t small tubers are
planted the result in general is a
quantity Of small vines, followed
with an over production of small
potatoes. Potatoes should be planted
IN drills three feet apart. We plant
potatoes here from the first OF Janu.
airy TO the eEd of March, but the best
time is about the 10Th Of January; if
planted early they should be planted
deeper than if planted late, and hilled
up as they grow. If potatoes are
planted shallow and not hilied soon,
they will suffer moro it caught by a
late frost than if planted deep and
hilled up well. OF late years no veg
etable has been improved SO much as
the potato. Since the introduction
OF the valuable early rose a number
OF new varieties have been introduced
every year and still they come. Every.
cultlvator of the potato both far a1iu
near Is familiar with the early rose,
and they cannot speak too highly OF
1t, it pleases the market equally as
Well as the private grower, and in
reputation to-day surpasses any other
variety. TO insure good crop it is
always necessary to select your seed
grown in a Northern climate. Pota.
t0es sheel. 4 silss is Y 'ss.. 1. ~. + m i
protected IRON tl5rSun, 70 20 through
u sweat before barreIing. Ship in
we'll ventilated barrels
SWEET POTATOES.
The sweet potato is next to come,
the most important TODD crop III the
South. They are wholesome and
nutritious diet, good for man and
beast. Though cultivated to a linn
tied extent on the sandy lands of
New Jersey and some of the Middle
States; it thrives best On the light,
rich sands OF the South, which bring
their red and golden fruits to greatest
perfection under the benign rays of
Southern sun. II Is plant OF warm
climate, "a child OF the sun, much
more nutritious than the Irish potato
on account OF the great amount of
saccharlne matter it contains, and 10
Southern table should be found with
out it from the first day OF August
till the last day OF May. Some plant
early in the spring-the potato itself
in the prepared ridges, and cut the
vine from the potato when large
enough, and plant them out, others
start the the potato in bed prepared
expressly tor that purpose and slip
off the sprouts as they come up and
set these out. The latter method |
will produce the earliest potatoes;
others who set out the vines say they
make the largest tubers. In prepar-
ing the land the soil should be
thoroughly pulverized the ridges
laid Oft about five teet apart well
drawn up and rather fiat on top,
plant your vines or slips just before
or after ram. The vines should
never be allowed to take root between
the rows; scrape off the grass and
young weeds with hoe, and pull up
the larger ones by hand; crab grass
is peculiarly lnimical to the sweet
potato and should be kept out of the
patcn. Sweet potatoes should be dug
before heavy frost occurs, and
when the ground is dry. The old
fashion potato bank is the best meth
Cd tor keeping them, the main points
being dry place aud ventilation.
There should always be rotation
0t crops, that no two crops OF similar
nature such as beets carrots or any
vegetable that grows III the ground
should be grown two years in success
sion Oh the same ground ii is not
only very exhaustive 10 the soil but
the crops thus grown are less pro-
ductive and should beschanged TO !