The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1888-03-22
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
Sweet Potato Culture.

The land best suited for growing
sweet potatoes Is a dry soil three
quarters sand, with coarse, open
sub-soil. The next best is gravelly
loan. provided always that the SUBJ
soil is open. I find it useless to at
tempt to grow sweet potatoes of good
quality on a damp soil, no matter how
good it may be in other respects. 1t
can scarcely be too dry, and the plants
are hilled up, so that the vines will act
as a mulch rs little as possible.
The ground is plowed and narrowed
as for other potatoes. The plot is then
marked out with q three-runner sled
lengthwise and then crosswise alright
angles, the runners being set 80 inches
apart. thus making the crossings 30x
80 inches. We now take one-horse
plow and strike OF open a furrow
about inches deep one way across
the plot. At the crossings we put about
four quarts of rather coarse stable ma
nure (that made from corn-stalks
cut with fodder cutter and placed un-'
der the horses for bedding. is the very
best) in the furrow and with a potato
fork hill-up until the top of the hill is
s or 10 inches above the level of the
ground. The plot is now ready for
receiving the sprouts. Sometimes it
is desirable to plant in rows. Then
we mark with The sled. as previously
described, one way only, running the
plow through each line, and filling the
furrow with manure which is covered
with the plow by throwing furrow
on top from each side.
For producing the sprouts, we select
place on the south side of building
or tight boald fence. and open pit.
(For sprouting barrel of potatoes it
should be IA inches deep. feet wide
and 9 feet long) A frame for three
sash, 3X6 feet, is fitted on the excava-
ton rs for other hotbeds. About April
TO- the pit is filled with hot manure
that has previously been well-worke cd
over and we'll wet so that no fire.
hanging will take place. After
the manure has been placed in the pit
it must be tramped down solid and
smooth. Now sift on sand to the depth
of one inch and rub it down smooth
and level. Put on the sash and let the
bed warm up little. One days bright
sun is generally sufficient.
The potatoes to be sprouted should
be of medium size. Split them through
lengthwise, laying the fat sides on the
sand, pressing them down firmly.
They should be as close together as
they will lie without touching eacl
other. Then sift on sand. just enough
to keep them in place, scarcely cover
ing them. Then place on the sash and
let them remain in that condition unit
they have begun to sprout freely. A
chalk line should be drawn around
the inside of the frame, two and hal
inches above the tops of the potatoes
and the bed should be filled up to thu
line with sifted sand. Give no waite,
until the sprouts begin 10 pusl
through this, the last covering, ant
then sparingly. Twelve quart
of warm water will be sufficient fol
the first watering. Care must b.
taken. for if the bed is made too we
the potatoes are sure to rot. The sasl
should be covered at night and
uniform temperature should be KEEP
Of, say. 80 deg. or 80 deg. as nearly a
possible. If the bed is started an,
managed in this way there will b
good. strong plants by the first o
June, and this is the time at which
prefer to begin setting the sprouts
When they are to be taken from tn
bed. wet the sand we'll with waite
from watering-pot; place the finger
of one hand on top of the potato t
hold 1t in place while the sprouts ar
pulled off with the other If they ar
planted in hills we set one sprout i
the top of each hill. putting in tn
plant down to about the first lea
pressing the earth firmly about til
roots If the sprouts are planted i
rows set them in the top of the ridg
fifteen inches apart. Before tn
sprouts are SCI the rOOUS SnOuIQ
puddled in clay about the consistenc
of cream. If care is taken in settin
the sprouts and the cut-worm does nc
trouble them. the loss of the sprout
set out will not average over five pc
cent.
The after cultivation is similar {
that of other kinds of potatoes. wit
the exception that the sweets must
kept well hilied up or the vines wi
mulch the ground and retain to
much moisture, thus making the p,
tatoes soggy when cooked.
Sweet potatoes should be dug wit
a potato fork, especially those to
kept for winter USE When duo, pt
them in a dry place. and let them re
main there until they have dor
sweating; then place them CAREFUL
in barrels, scattering q little ali
slaked lime over them as they al
placed in the barrels. Remove IL
barrels to dry, warm room in Il