The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1884-06-25
About the Sweet Patato.

OF course on a subject so well under
stood as that of the culture of the sweet
potato, very little that is new can be
advanced. We desire only to touch on
two or three points about which there
is some diversity of practice, but points
upon which very large part of the sue
cess of potato culture depends.
First, as to the method of setting out
the young plants or drawers. Most far
mers wait for shower to do this, beliey-
ing there is no sort of show for potatoes
put out III dry weather. This is mis-
take. Besides losing time, which is an
important item in this crop, the drawers
seldom grow off as well after a shower,
especially if the soil hardens rapidly,
and very often remains for several DAYS.
sometimes more than week, in vel
low, sickly state, and perhaps after all
many of them die. Now, it is always
best to plant everything in freshly
stirred soil And if, when the bed has
a goodly number of drawers fit to set,
the ridges are thrown up, and little holes
made the proper distance apart for set
ting sweet pototoes-ffteen inches-a
plant put in each hole, and little water
poured in upon the roots, and after the
water has all soaked into the soil the
dry dirt is drawn up to the plant, very
few of them Will die. In this way you
plant in a freshly stirred soil, the ridge
is moist all through, and loose and mel
low, the pouring on OF the water settles
the roots into the soil, and gives the
plant moisture enough to start growing,
and the drawing up of the dry soil around
the plant prevents the part that is wet
from getting hard. If the work is done
late in the afternoon, nearly every plant |
will live, even in the dryest weather.
About seed, there has lately arisen
some difference of practice. Instead of |
cutting vines and sticking them out into |
ridges in August, to make slips, or small |
seed potatoes, manyno select the small |
roots from the large potatoes at digging
time, and use these for seed. 1t is no.
ticed, however, by some, that the num-
Der of beds that fail to give an early
supply of drawers is increasing. Hot !
beds are made with all due care, slips
are bedded as early now as formerly,
and all is done that can be thought of to
insure an early and full show of drawers.
But very often it is high June before
single drawer is secured. What is the
cause? 1t must be the seed. Little po-
tatoes from the general crop are not the
best They are dwarfs and late. Young
slips, fresh and vigorous are the better.
They will sprout soon in bed, and send
up more of them. If you want early
and fine potatoes, free from disease and
rue to kind, raise slips from the vine of
he kind you wish to grow Potatoes
will mix in the hill if you plant more
han one kind in patch. So if you
want to keep your stock pure, raise the
lips.
1t would seem but tifling thing, but
,ur experience is that rows running
the opposite way. 1t may be because
the ridge receives an equal amount OF
heat on both sides. We do not know.
A free exposure to sun and air is also
essential. The potato will not grow in
shade.
As to the earliness, we have found the
white yam the earliest, but not the best.
1t is, however, a fine potato, and very
prolific. Some call it the Hartman, but
others claim they are distinct varieties.
The red yam la par excellence, the p0ta-
to in every essential point-earliness,
quality, and yield per acre. The yellow
rind is hardy, prolific and good. A fine
general utility potato good for table,
stock or market. Also good keeper. |
A large part of every farmers patch
should be OF this variety. !
Should the young plants look yellow
and weakly sometime after being set out
a sprinkle of plaster will restore them.
But for a small patch, where you are
trying to have a few very early, the best
thing i'll the world is a liquid manure
made OF the manure from the goose pen.
The water poured into holes at setting
should be Of this, and every day or two
the plants should be sprinkled with the
liquid. You will soon see the result
Rural Messenger.