The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-11-01
(Ooatimued from poge 1861

AOO''V"''+S't - Opc f>CSJC AOcII
Though the
SWEET POTATO AND CASSATA
may, by some, be looked on as be-
longing rather to field crops than the
garden, we nevertheless propose to
have word in regard to them, for
we consider the latter to be a much
neglected, easily grown, poor mans
food crop. We grow more of it
than all our neighbors combined,
(perhaps because our finances are
such that we have less of the needful
;than all Of them comblned.") The
seed, so called, is but cuttings of the
we'll ripened stalks. They may be
made from two to ten inches long.
The smaller the stalk the longer
should the cutting be. But these
long cuttings should not be planted
perpendicularly. The lower ends
should not be deeper than six inches
and the upper ends should be just be
meath the surface. Short cuttings
are more apt TO be injured by the dry
weather alter planting. If it is in>
tended to plant on new ground, it
should be broken in the fall and re-
plowed in January, so as to allow OF
settling and thus become better pres
pared to resist the dry weather
which may succeed the time of plant
ing. We prefer to plant in February,
though cuttings will grow at almost
any season of the year. Plant 3x4
feet and larger roots will be produced
IN VIl0 s5aI Iils 't'narSetf tca ons 70
each Hill. Certainly do not allow
over two stalks to grow or you will
regret it, Cultivate thoroughly but
shaNoac. After July they will need
but little attention. The s'stumps,"
4. e. the portion below ground. with
perhaps one inch above with an inch
or so cut off of the lower end, make
the best cuttings producing strong
er growth from the start and main-
tanning their lead throughout. the
season. Plants which have not pros
duced full crop OF large roots the
first season may be left undisturbed
to add to their developement by a
second seasons growth. These are
generally those from small cuttings.
The same soil which will produce so
bushels Of potatoes will give four
times that quantity OF cassava and
the latter can be used as bread much
better than the former. But it can
be used as readily as the potato as
vegetable. As to the sweet potato
we have had tair results from raking
the trash (pine leaves, old grass and
rotten limbs of trees) into a winrow
and backing three rounds on 20 it; j.;
then dressing up with the hoe. We
did this in February and planted cut.
tings OF the vine in June and draws,
4. e. rooted plants drawn from bedded
sweet potatoes, in May. With new
land very little cultivation is needed,
in fact new land is to be preferred
mainly because it is clean OF weed
seeds for the culture OF such a vim
ing plant in a soil filled with crab.
grass is almost impossible.
Last September we prepared a
patch of new ground in the above
style planting the cuttings early in
October and results were favorable
where ever our neighbors' hogs and
cows did not totally destroy the
plants. This spring preparations
were commenced on this same ''stand-
over" patch tor crop to be dug next
tall. We planted two rows of COW
peas in each OF the valleys between
the ridges. BY July they had made
their growth, were tramped down
and the ridges split by the plow, and
now there are ridges where the val
leys were before and these were inn
mediately dressed up with the hoes
and planted with vines. Some times
vines have been scarce with us and
we have cut them very short and
, placed them for q few weeks with
their lower ends in moist soil; we
live on the shore OF lake. In few