The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-06-26
gARA M~ANAGEllENT.
oe1y Methods u Procuring 6weet-Potato
Pants and Caring for Them In the Field.
tfseecting Trees ffon lnsecH-Generai In
dustftal Miscellany.
Iy-weetrotsto culsurs.

R00y0 - ~ ~
greatly extended IN this country dur
tng the past twenty years. Previous
% tho civil war but few were raised
north 81 the Ohio river. New Jersey
and Ohio were the first northern states
70 engage extensively in sweet-potato
culture. They arc now raised to some
Extent In every state in the union.
The yield Is the largest, the quality
the best, and the cultivation the easiest
In the southern states. The sweet
potato is OF tropical origin. but it is
sasily acclimated to all parts of the
world where Indian corn will rlpen.
The crop will not prove to be a very
profitable n to raise for the general
market in parts Of the country where
dent corn can not be ripened. The
plants require much sunshine and
quite q high degree OF heat to produce
large tapers that will mature before
the earlier frosts, that are certain to
kill the vines and iEjnre the potatoes.
IL 10 useless TO set out the plants be-
lore the soil becomes warm. They
will make hardly any growth, ard the
ground where they are planted will
become covered with weeds. Ii
planted about the middle OF june in
thus latitude their growth will be rapid,
and little labor will be required in
their cultivation.
Sweet potatoes are not likely to be
injured by any insect except cut
worms. They are never molested by
the Colorado beetle, They endure
drought much better than most kinds
.aDf root crops. They are profitable for
Bvery farmer to raise in portions OF
the country where the average crop of
common potatoes is less than q hun
ared bushels per acre. The sweet
potato in tine northern states is raised
from sprouts, which are taken from
the parent potato and tra~nsplanted to
low ridges that are ordinarily about
tour feet apart, the plants being about
2 Q o from each other. Any soil that
Is suitable for corn will, under suitable.
management, produce good sweet po-
tatoes. There is no necessity for
blowing the land very deep. it is
better not to have it ~puiverized deeper
than is required for a crop Of small.
grain. The potatoes grow like par
ships and carrots in respectful position
In the ground, and extend in length
till they reach hard ground. II the
soil is %pulverized very deeply the
tubcrs will be likely to be long aud
small in diameter. II the ~pufverfzcd
soil is shallow the tubers will be short
and large in size, and Of the best pro-
portions for cooking.
The obtaining of the plant is the
most troublesome thing in connection
with raising sweet potatoes. In some
places they can be obtained in suf-
ticient quantities for raising potatoes
for = family from market gardeners.
They generally raise them under glass.
Few farmers have hot beds covered
with glass, and therefore find it diff
cult to raise sweet potato plants. An
Ohio correspondent OF The NeU York.
Tribune gives q method Of making hot
bed suitable for sprouting sweet po-
tatoes which is not attended by much
expense. II is larger than will be re-
CURED by any farmer who only in
tends to raise sweet potatoes for the
use of his family. A peck of seed
will produce all the plants that he will
require. and q frame that will extend
four feet in each direction will enclose
sufficient space to hold the potatoes to
be sprouted. The sides of a dry-goods
box will make suitable frame. The
following are his directions for max
ing. filling, and managing the bed:
prefer top OF the ground to an ex-
cayation. Place first nearly a foot in
depth of wet straw, from around the
stack preferred, tramped down solid;
af this is done less manure will be re-
l. gNt1trhd 2EW5yl, !, liz grx,Yf AIn ,,l..-t
should be thoroughly hot, three feet
wider each way than you wish the bed
to lie:ssup0n eight inches of the hot
manure. well packed down on the
straw. set q frame Of boards one inch
thick and . foot wide. A good size
aud shape is sixteen foot long and
eight wide; this will hold a barrel or
moro OF potatoes. and be convenient
to wafer and pull the plants from.
The frame need not slope like that of
one on which glass is used it may pe
set Hat, but there should be a movable
bar at II side raised a foot or so to
give slope enough to the boards with
which the bed is to be covered to car
ry off the water, the lower end of the
boards resting on the frame. After
the frame is nlaced, bank up with
straWy manure OF the outside to the
top OF the boards, and shake a few
inches Of best manure inside till,
when tramped down, it is within eight
inches OF the top. In packing a hot
bed always step on small pieces of
board, and move them one front of the
other as you walk along; this will pack
the manure evenly, while if tramped
with the feet some places will be more
compact than others and the heat will
be irregular. There should be four
inches OF good earth between the po-
tatoes and the manure; l find good
garden soil as good as any, but pre-
fer . lighter soil-leaf mold or sand
to cover with. The soil with which
the potatoes are to be covered should
be put in when the bed is made. so as
to warm up with the bed, but the po
tatoes should not be put in till the
earth IS all warm SO as to feel COM
Portable to the hand. AS soon as the
bed 10 completed cover it a foot deep
with straw, and, ss it may need to be
uncovered several times, it will save
time and litter to have the straw bound
in small bundles. Place the roof OF
boards above the straw and wait for it
to heat. If the sur shines out bright
and warm the warming of the bed.
will be fastened by u%ncovering fol. six
or eight hours in the middle of the
day. When the bed is warm remove
three inches Of soil from \ strip at one
end and put in a syheel-barrow to be
taken to the other end to ccyer the
last strip. Small potatoes are gener-
ally used for sprouting, as they will
furnish more sprouts to the bushel,
but ! favor good-sized potatoes, and
not crowded in the bed when n is
growing plants for his own use. The
seed should be sound, and the sooner