The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1894-02-22
The Sweet Potato.


some valuable information about
sweet potatoes as Texas crop, from
which we CLEAN the following, which
is of special interest to farmers just at
this time:
The sweet potato is one of cur most
important vegetables. 1t may be cul-
tivated in the garden for family use,
or, on account of ita qualities for
stock feed, it may be grown profit
ably as field crop. 1t thrives AID
natures in the driest ami hottest
weather. Owing to its general adap.
liability to different soils and climate,
its easiness of propagation and Guilt
vatiSn, it ia grown, AT least to some
extent, at nearly every rural home OF
the South. 1t and "the lonely peach
sproutn are all that are seen growing
in many Southern gardens.
The varieties are often so mixed
when cent 70 market that the interior
ones make the selling price for the
whole, consequently the real cash
value of the best sweet potatoes is
often not realized.
The fifth annual report of the agri-
cultural bureau of Texas gives the
following statistics on three of tho
leading crops grown in the state to
show the comparative value Of the
sweet potato:
Cotton, acres, A. $40 80; bales 2,O26,-
473; value, 500, 439, 476.
Corn, acres, 1896 533; bushels, 3d.
135,004; value. 1913, 42O 125.
Wheat, acres, 442 337; bushels,
6,978 1856; value, 5,244,3O3.
Sweet potatoes, acres. "a, 40;
bushels, 3,O02 1888; value, 81, SOB 1874.
According to the above statistics
the value OF each per acre Is as given
az follows: Cotton, SIS 36; corn, IS VA;
wheat, ST. SO; sweet potatoes, 500 "a
When it Is considered that the
difference in the cost OF growing an
acre of each is comparatively small,
the fact is readily apparent that this
vegetable deserves a higher place In
Southern agriculture.
TIE native habitat of the sweet po-
tato is not definitely known. 1t is
generally supposed to be of American
origin, but we have no authentic ac
count of where and when it was first
brought into cultivation by civilized
man.
The sweet potato is quite different
thing, botanically considered, from
the Irish potato. The former is an
enlarged root, while the latter is an
enlarged subterrahean stem. The
sweet potato belongs to the morning
glory family (convolvulaceae), and the
Irish potato belongs to the night
shade family (solanaceae).
Farmers usually allow the tops to
decay on the ground. They make an
important feed for stock and espec-
ialy for dairy cattle. This is true in
particular of the tops of the vlneless,
which remain green during very Sc
we're drouths when grass usually is
scorched and killed by burning sun
and dry winds. Since they grow III
punches and stand up well they can
be cut with q moving machine ana
put up like regular forage crops
They have also been recommended by
q farmer In this state tor salad. we
have tried them and find them to
make salad of very tar qualify,
Their contents of protein, ash and
crude fiber rank about as high as they
do i'll the tuber.
The past season was an unusually
uEY Ou6s L lis dOOOuhAO 49, " =
measure, no doubt, for the small
yield of the many vatiet es as tested |
at the college. Professor u. Adriance, |
meteorological Tor the station, mas
kindly furnished the following oata |
in regard to the amount of rainfall
since last March till November: AprlI,
1.4fpin.; May, 90 in; June, 5O In
July, 0 45 in; August, 80 IN sep
TENDER, rs in October, Ol7 IN. IL
will thus be seen that in July when |
potatoes usually make considerable |
growth in the development OF tnbers |
not one. half inch rain fell during that |
hot month. One good thing has re-
suited, in that the season has brought |
out the drouth resisting qualities OF
the varieties under test.
During the Tast season 81 varieties
have been tested here. They were |
planted out in the experimental plots
from April Is to 25. They were plant
ed in ridges five inches high, two feet
wide and four feet apart, the plants
standing one foot asunder in the row.
Shallow cultivation was given till the
plants covered the ground. The soil
is a dark, sandy, compact clay OF me-
dunn fertility underlaid by an almost
impervious white clay. Ii is not the
best for sweet potatoes, but it repre-
sents a large part of the soil in this
section of the state.
The test for table quality was made
when the potatoes were dug. NO
doubt some would show hig her table
quality if they had been stored awhile
1t is we'll known fact among many
shippers of the vegetable that the soft
sagary vans so highly appreciated In
the South do not meet with ready sale
in the Northern markets, consequent
ly sweet potatoes shipped to the latter
market should be rather dry and
mealy like the Nansemond. Since
"tastes differ" there can be 10 well
defined STANDARD of table quality.
The bulletin then gives table too
large to reproduce, but the following
Weld, with table value, are the eight
Leading varieties, the yield i'm other
varieties running all the way down to
% bushels per acre:
Bunch yam, light yellow, soft and
1876 bushels; table quality, 80
.--lA "