The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-04-05
BEDDING SwEETPOTATOES.
The Proper Method of Preparing
the Plant Bed.

The following timely article from the
Richmond Progressive South will be of in
terest and value to our farmer friends
Just at this time, doubtless:
Possibly in the earlier sections of the
trucking belt the work of bedding"
sweet potatoes has been performed, but
the sweet potato Is not, as a crop, con-
fined to trucking. 1t should lie raised by
every farmer for family use and feeding
purposes. and many whose lands are es-
pecially suited to its growth, and whose
facilities for dispOsing of the crop are
good, will find it more profitable than
ordinary farm crops. It's culture is SIM
pie, and to make good bed and raise
the slips successfully is not the arduous
task and risky business that many i'm
agine. OF course, those who have learned
from practice have but little ii any diff
Guilty i'll getting good supply of slips,
but the inexperienced may raise all the
slips needed with but little trouble We
give the following directions for bedding
the tubers, which has given very general
satisfaction to all who have tried it, and
produces abundantly of slips:
In choosing a location a southern ex-
posure is best, the south side of a fence
or building; drainage is another i'm
portant point, and where good natural
drainage does not exist, it must be sup
piled through artificial means. Having
secured location well drained, the next
step is to dig a pit twelve or fifteen in
ches deep and OF such dimensions as will
meet the requirpments--about four feet
square-will hold one bnshel of potatoes
OF fair size ior bedding. This pit should
be boarded tightly to level with the
surface OF the ground on the south side
and about one foot above on the north ;
the DIRT should be banked up on the
north side and on the ends. Put layer
of corn stalks in this pit to a depth of
about three inches, then a layer OF oak
leaves and pine straw mixed a thickness
| OF about three inches; cover this with
two or three inches of fresh stable ma
nure (this should be sprinkled thoroughly
with warm water,) and over it should be
placed two Or three inches of rich, light
dirt, then lay the potatoes as close as
possible without permitting them to
touch each other; cover with about two
inches OF rich, light dirt. The bed should
be examined each day, and if found too
warm, a stick thrust down through the
manure and twisted a few times may
cool it; also to leave open late at night
or during cold days, but in this care
should be exercised: if found too cold
| cover over with pine straw and keep
| covered with boards or glass until suffi-
Gent heat has been generated; again, it
| is necessary to exercise caution; some
are apt to expect the bed to warm up
| too suddenly, and, not finding this to
| be the case, are too hasty in applying
theat-producing agencies and cause the
beds to become overheated. Frequent
examinations should be made as to
! whether the potatoes are rOtting; those
found to be decaying should be removed
| or the rotten part cut away. Ii they are
rOtting badly they will have to be taken
| up and replanted.
There is probably more danger from
| too much warmth rather than cold. A
cold bed is not so apt to rot the potatoes,
| but the slips will be of later growth, and
will not propagate SO rapidly, conse-
| quently will not produce SO many slips.
Just how many plants may be obtained
from one bushel it is difficult to state.
Some consider 5000 an unusually good
| yield, while Others claim to have pro-
cured az many as 10000 from the
| bushel. Much, however, depends upon
the management. Some beds are so man
aged as to furnish a setting about every
ten days, while others will not repeat
Oftener than once in three weeks, but
this is largely q matter of control, as
some will not draw their plants only
during rainy season, while others draw
as often as the plants are large enough.
After the potatoes have sprouted the
bed should be well watered every evening
and protected during cold nights. Small
to medium plants are best to use as they
grow off more readily, and the percent
age OF loss is not so great as when large
| slips are set out.