The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1892-03-18
DIVERSIFIED INDUSTRIES.
THE SWEET POTATO.

nc sweet potato belongs 10 lhe
convolvulus family and has been as
signed to different genera by various
botanical writer's, but the most recent
accepted botanical authority calls it
lpomma Batatas, of Lamreck. Its
native country is uncertain, whether
east Indian or American. While the
sweet potato will grow in northern
attitudes and will produce tubers in
the summer season, it can only reach
perfection and be grown protitably
in warm climates. The sweet potato
will grow, thrive, and mature, des-
pite of the driesj and hottest weather,
and there is scarcely auy other escu-
lent that will do this under burn
ing sun and lOrrid atmosphere.
Until within three or four years
past the value of the sweet potato as
q crop has not been fully realized or
appreciated, and the requisites for
its proper production and cultivation
less understood than any other crop
of like Importance. But it is rapidly
| being demonstrated that it is the
most valuable of all the root crops
and its culture is receiving largely
increased attention.
The Charleston News recently re-
ferred to the sweet potato as follows:
"We have always been of opinion
that the great value of the sweet po-
tato crop in the Southern States and
elsewhere was not duly appreciated
and sufficiently utilized. Root crops
are always more prolific than grain
crops. They exhaust the land less
and give more in return for labor and
manure. OF course they are not as
nutritious, pound for pound, as
| grain, but in great increase of ma
terial they yield more nutrition to
given quantity of land, than any of
the cereals. Irish potatoes, turnips,
bects, carrots, both in Europe and in
our Northern States, are all justly
priced as the most valuable of farm
crops. The sweet potato is superior
TO them all as food for man and beast
1t may be used for all the purposes
TO which the others are applied, and
for many others besides. IN the
fresh state, just out of the ground,
1t makes an excellent substitute for
arrow-root by grating the pulp into
water and allowing the starchy mat
ter to subside. As a vegetable it is
a favorite on every table, cooked in a
great variety of ways. AS dessert,
it makes better pudding or PIE than
the pumpkin. 1t is good food for
stock of all kiuds-horses cattle,
sheep and hogs. Our best Southern
varieties will probably soon become
a very important article of export to
the Northern States and to Europe.
A well-seasoned potato, baked slow
ly, as it should be, is really more a
fruit than a vegetable. The time
will come when they will be prepar
ed in this way, and, by being put up
in sealed cans and by other modes of
conveyance, will become an import
ant article of trade. They are put
ting up cans already in some parts
of the country.
VARIETIES: There are many va
rieties of the sweet potato possess
ing widely different qualities accord
ing to soil and climate Which
particular variety will be best suited
to given locality, can only be ascer-
tanned by experimental culture. The
"Hanover,' "Yellow Nansomond"
and "Southern Queen" are considered
among the best grown in the South
ern States. There are other varieties
known as the ''yam family of sweet
potatoes. +" OF these the leading
varieties are "Yelow Pimento,"
"White Brazilian, ""Red Bermuda, ("
''White Bermuda" "Red Spanish"
Mexican" or bahama Yam" Va
rieties that have been imported from
Peru are porto Viejo," large, sweet
and abundant; skin, dark red; flesh,
deep pink. "Boca Sagarto," sweet
er and better flavor; skin, light pink;
flesh, yellowish white. Nina" still
better; skin and flesh, yellowish
white.
There are about thirty marked and
permanent varieties in New Zealand.
Some are red-skinned, some purple,
and others white. Tubers have been
widely distributed from there over
Europe and the West Indies.
SOILS AND MANUREs A sandy and
loamy soil and warm climate are
The conditions most favorable to the
sweet potato. 1t will grow in other
soils if not too cold or heavy and
will produce fairly good crops, but it
is as well established fact that
sandy loamy is the best, and produces
the finest of sweet potatoes.
We'll rotted stable manure, pull
verified and spread broad cast, is the
best and cheapest fertilizer. Wood
ashes is considered by some to be the
best and most enduring fertilizer.
The farmers of the Southern States
also use the superphostatic lime,
bone meal, ammoniated bone, wood
ashes, and potash, which give salts
factory results.
PRorAGATIoN;-The sweet potato
is propagated by planting layers or
slips from the mature vines, or by
Enrpnts ar lL1rn ypssJ f,a,,, ~