The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-13
Sweet

Carbohydrates ............75.O 75.3
tatoes may be more easily grown on an
acre of land than 100 bushels of corn. the
former is really three times a better field
crop than the corn.
1t is much less exhaustive of the soil
for of the S6& pounds of dry matter. 1874
are derived from the air, and the soil IT,
self contributes of mineral matters only
l% pounds.
.}ut these figures do not include the
vines, Of which the product per acre Will
reach fully one and half 10 two tons Of
dry fodder, that is shown by careful eN-
periments in feeding, and by analysis, to
be equal in value to as much clover hay
of the best quality. So that, counting
this fodder to be worth as much in money
value as is clover hay. and the total cost
of the culture of a crop is about $50, the
value of the tubers is So much profit, and
as the common price Of them Is 40 cents a
bushel. this will amount to the sum Of
a. many dollars for every hundred bushels
gathered.
AS the harvesting of the crop is the arg
est item of the cost. and this may be
avoided by feeding ii to pigs, it shows how
exceedingly profitable 1t may be made to
the southern farmer, as the means of
providing his supply Of meat, both for
home use and for sale; for the vines may
be mown for hay and the tubers viii be
gathered without cost. The expense OF
harvesting is estimated as one-third of the
whole cost of the crop.
The sweet potato is grown from slips
or sets, which are the sprouts from the
eyes or Du0S OF the tuDefOuS roofs. 1 ncSe
are grown in hotbeds, in which the seed
potatoes are planted in a horizontal posi-
ton. as close together as may be- without
touching. Sometimes the tubers are split
lengthwise, and planted with the cut side
downward. They are covered with two
or three inches Of fine, rich soil The bot
tom of the bed is made of fresh horse ma
nure, by which heat is generated, and
quickly sets the eyes of the seed grow
ing, and in five or six weeks the sets are
ready for planting in the field or garden.
In the cotton-growing localities il used
to be the practice to make the beds of cot
ton seed well moistened, which quickly
heated and furnished the warmth neceS-
sary to start the eyes into growth. A
bushel of mediumsized tubers will plant
a bed five feet square, and will yield as
many as 2, 900 to $500 sets. AS the sets are
planted three feet apart each way, two
bushels of medium-siZed seed tubeTs are
required for an acre of land. The seed
is sprouted twice or three times, and the
supply of sets is thus increased.
The shape of the tuber is an important
item in the value of the crop. A long oval
is the best form, the long, slender shape
less roots being less valuable than those
of the preferred shape, of length equal
to twice the diameter, and tapering
smoothly to the ends. The best soil is a
rich light loan, inclining to sandy. The
rich black soil of newly cleared land is
especially favorable. but the smoothest
and best colored tubers are grown on a
light yellow sand in good condition of fer
tility. AS with the common potato. the
prevalent idea that luxuriant vines make
small tubers is not supported by facts,
as, indeed, it is inconsistent with the laws
of plant growth, which show that the
tubers bear a close relation to the vigor-
Gus growth of foliage, by which the atmos-
phere is absorbed. and the material for the
growth of the roots is collected.
Deep blowing in preparing the soil is ia
vorable to a large yield of good roots, but
shallow cultivation is desirable for the pro-
duction of well shaped ones. The soil is
thrown into fiat ridges, on which the slips
are planted. This would seem to be as
mistaken an idea as that formerly current
in regard to the growth on the level. and
without and ridging whatever At the
Louisiana station an experiment with level
cultivation resulted N an increase of ten
The distance of the plants on the ground
is commonly 30 inches each way, or is
inches apart in rows three feet apart. At