The Indianapolis journal., 1886-03-11
Sweet Potato Growing.

Sweet Potato Growing.
Ohio Correspondence Country GENTLEMAN.
/ believe that If the best method of growing
the sweet potato was understood and put in
practice, the crop could be grown successfully In
many Localities where now one attempts to
grow it. It does not require long season. as
the first half of June is quite seasoneble. and
have grown fair crop from plants set the 4th
of July. Where the crop win mature it is quite
profitable, they will yield as much as the Irish
potato, and the price averages much higher.
often double. friend of mine who grew eight
to ten acres a year for several years, told me
that his first crop averaged 125 bushels to the
acre, and that, as he learned to manage them
better, he gradually increased the yield until the
seventh crop averaged 262 bushels per acre, and
for the seven years 100 bushels per acre.
have grown sweet potatoes for thirty years,
part of the time for market, and learned many
years ago that shallow blowing with thorough
pIlverzation of the soil and sman hills or ridges,
would give the best results. If were living in
a northern latitude where there was doubt as to
the season being long enough to mature them,
would always make hills, for as the sun
shine all sides of hill, it Wal heat up better
than ridge and the plant, being semi-tropical,
wants all the heat it can get. There is another
reason why small hills or ridges give the best re-
suits On our clay uplands, if large ridge is
made and there comes heavy ran it will set
tie and become hard and compact; but the small,
narrow hill is less likely to this. and
as the potatoes begin to grow they crack
better in this loose hill Another reason for
shallow plowiEg is. that the potatoes in growing
downward may soon reach the hard soil. which
checks the growth in tnat direction, and then
they develop in thickness. making more salable
potato, and, as they are kept nearer the surface,
where it is warm. they also grow larger When
l make hills. ] throw two burrows together with
a small one-horse turning plow, SO that the
ridges will be three feet from center to center,
and then with light garden hoes we make the
hills two and half feet apart from center to CEN
ter, which gives $500 hills to the acre. If
planted on the ridges, the plants should not be
set closer than two feet.
Every who attempts to grow the sweet
potatoe for market should raise his owp plants.
Usually they will cost very much less than to
buy them; but even if they should cost more,
| would still recommend it, as by having the
plants in your own bed you can take advantage
of the bost weather to transplant them, and can
transfer them when perfectly fresh from the bed
to the plat where they to grow. The novice
usually loses his potatoes for year or two: in
fact, think had sprouted ten years before l
had learned to manage them so that could feel
certain of success There are two extremes to
be avoided-the bed must neither be too cold nor
too hot but the loss comes ofener from the latter
than from the former cause The remedy for
both extremes is found in thoroughly covering
the bed with straw,
w uou r6dQy tO trduSpidQb. prepare TIC Auu 8S
soon after rain as it will work nicely; make it
as fine as meal with the harrow and plank drag;
then with small turning plow throw up ridges
as high and sharp as you can Ii you plant on
ridges, you ought to make the soil so fine and
mellow that you do not need to touch them with
hoe. Try and throw up the ridges two or
three inches higher than you need to set the
plants, or it the hills are made have them left
high; then, before setting plant. brush with
the hands removes the dry earth from the top Of
ha nr rid md fho ITO mt fo fha
moist soil. If the day is cloudy. plants may be
set all day, but if hot drying day, keep the
force at some other work till the middle of the
afternoon, and then put all hands to setting out
plants. Pudding is much better than watering,
and II fresh cow manure IS mixed with the soil
when stirring up the puddle. it is all the better
for they will be fertilized little, and will start
into growth rapidly If several men and boys
are at work setting the plants. it is best to APP
point one foreman, unless you can look after
them yourself The earth must be pressed 80
firmly to the roots of the plants that, if you take
a leaf between the thumb and finger and give
quick jerk, the leaf will break before the plant
can be pulled up Thousands of newly set
plants die each year from neglect of
frming the earth around the roots The
land should be cultivated after each rain. Run
through between the rows with double shovel,
holding it up so as to have it run shallow, and
then with light hoe work the hills just deep
enough to break the crust and kill the weeds that
are starting An hours work. done at the right
time, will be worth as much as half days work
after the land has become hard and the weeds
are rooted. In the latter part of the season the
vines will cover the ground and keep down all
the weeds.
In digging and handling great care should be
taken not to bruise the potatoes, or they will
soon decay. If well dried for few days, either
in the sun or by fire heat, and carefully packed
in perfectly dry sawdust they will keep in an
ordinary cellar nearly all winter / find the
Red Nansemond and Short Yellow Jersey the
best varieties