Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-02-26
WEET POTATOES.
How tETubers, Which are Not Potatoes
at all, Are Grown.

at all, Are Grown.
Swepotatoes are not potatoes, and
vet thegaye the name to the true po-
tato. hey are species of convolvu-
lus, clely related to the well-known
plant chat name, and more closely to
the comon garden plant, ipomea. It7
botanil name is Convolvulus batatas
or Batas edulis, and from this has
been Cived the common name of a
very derent plant. Solanum tuber-
osum, ur common potato. It is a
twiniI plant, and when grown as an
ornanntal climber makes a very pref
tv or1ment for the window garden.
1t is exceedingly valuable plant for
its nrtive tuberous root, and was the
popur substitute for the South Amer
lean tato in the northern part of the
conthnt when it was discovered by
Colubus. 1t formed the principal
subsistence of the Revolutionary Army
in thSouthern States, and formed the
noomy meal of General Marion in
SoutCarolina when he was visited by
the Itish officers after his victory at
Gowns. 1t contains not only large
pOrtn of starch, but also much sugar,
and men dried and reduced to flour
maksan equally nutritious and agree
abletod as when cooked in it's natural
form 1t will grow wherever corn will,
and gually yields as much as an aver
age up of the common potatoes and
wv, {l,4 ,ol
too Farm for the latter crop. 1t
thris best in a warm, light, sandy
loan but will grow even upon clay
soil it is thoroughly well pulverized
by .od culture.
Il mode of culture is as follows.
Ear in the spring, as soon as the
hesF frosts are over, hot-bed is pre-
pam in the usual way and the tubers
arelanted whole in it. The sprouts
sooappear, and when they are about
snnches long they are slipped off
wit the roots attached to them. and
arhen set out in beds about eighteen
toEenty inches apart. The eyes or
bus sprout again, and so large num-
beof slips are taken from each tuber.
I'll beds are usually left uncovered
ding the day, and are protected by
saaes sor by a covering of straw or
sEmp hay during the nights. The
pats are set out about the time of
cn planting, when the ground is
VIM. The beds are made as follows:
TO wide and deep open burrows are
nade in the form of trench, three
1T apart; the manure, which should
kwelI rotted, is spread in this open
irow and covered by double turn of
e pillow; the soil is then smoothed
Eth rake OR pliable harrow, and the
ps or plants are set out in the beds as
lore mentioned. The after cultiva-
IN consists in keeping the soil mellow
ID free from weeds and moving the
hes as soon as they begin to run to
event them from roofing at the joints
d wasting their strength upon I'M
cessary growth. This is done with
9 hoe or rake at the last working of
e ground.
The crop is gathered by opening
e beds with pillow and turning out
e tubers. In small patches this is
ne with the hoe. The tubers are
IL dried and are then carefully
Ckcu away AoI plCoOI N6eiOl3 dhu
It here begins the trouble, of which
IRE or less appertains to every work
d labor of mankind. This is the
ficulty of keeping the tubers sound.
ev are very tender and easily injured
exposure to cold, which causes de-
Y. For their perfect preservation
" require a temperature of at
st sixty degrees. In the Southern
ates, where large quantities are
own for shipment to Northern mark
!, potato houses are made for storing
I'm. These are made with tight
ors and lathed sides protected by
,se shutters. Bins made of laths are
1eed on each side and raised a few
hes from the floor, to permit of
free circulation of air. In fine, dry,
rm weather the shutters are opened
d the air permitted to pass through
, potatoes. When the weather is
t or cold a stove provided for the
rpose is heated and the house
rmed to right temperature. In
5 way the tubers are kept in good
Ter until the spring. In small way
, tubers may be preserved safely in
xes or barrels packed in dry sand
wood ashes and kept in warm
set, or in dry room which may be
pt warm, or in dry cellar which
" be warmed by a stove.-N. 7.
mes