The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-03-17
THE FERTILIZATION OF THR
SWEET POTATO CROP.

| correspondence OF the progressive FARMER.
A correspondent asks why is it
! that sweet potatoes on rich soil run to
vines end make no good roote?" The
fact Is that usually when potatoes act
in such manner it is evidence that the
soil Is deficient in something aud is not
really as rich as the growth Of vines
would seem to Indicate. a soil in
which he elements of plant food are
F! perfectly balanced should grow bet
ter crop than poor one. In old gar
dena, where the soil has been manured
with stable manure for many years,
the sweet potato crop generally fails
and the owner says it Is because the
soil Is too rich. 1t is rather because
there Ia 4 lack Of balance in tie land
The sta le manure and the organic
matter introduced with It have made
me soil rich ii nitrogen but have not
add,d due proportion Of the other
necessary ingredients that plants re
| qulre for their best success The miro
gen tends to provoke e IuXuriant
growth, and q full development of
foliage is an essential to the production
of starch in the plant, aud starch be
ing one Of the chief matters stored by
the sweet potato, together with the
sugar which originates in the same
way, one would suppose that the
luxuriant foliage would be followed by
an abundant sorlDg of starch and
|
crop. But all the organic m alter IL
the plant Is dependent upon the manu-
facture of arch IN the leaves, ami the
formation of starch is dependent upon
the supply Of potash in the sill. Ii
| then there Is only enough TO keep pace
with the rapid development of leaves
and stems iu the soil rich in nitrogen,
there will be no surplus for the plant
TO store in the roOte, and hence small
potatoes. The stable manure has made
the soil rich in nitrogen, but has not
supplied a duo proportion of potash
ana phOsphOric acid. There being
deficiency Of these in proportion to the
nitrogen, there is a rank growth of
|
in the roots. The heaviest crop of
sweet potatoes We ever saw was grown
OF a piece of reclaimed marsh land, q
deep, black peaty soil, good for 100
bushels OF corn per acre. Part Of this
LAND had heavy dressing of uniea 2hed
ashes, about half a ton per acre On
this part the big crop was grown, The
r. mainder, which did not have any
sehes made magnificent vines but
hardly q potato larger than ones little
finger. IC was the potash IL the ashes
that made a the ditf-renC0 between a
phenomenal crop and a dead failure.
The half ton Of ashes rad about so
pounds Of actual potash, and cost 81 so,
and while the application pai1 well,
the same amount Of potash could have
been applied III the form OF high grade
sulphate Of potash for $25 or less.
When we recommend the high grade
sulphate and muriate of potash, some
imagine that because these sell for $45
to $50 per ton, and ashes can be had
for $15 per ton that they had better
buy the ashes They do not reflect
that while the ashes have but per
cent. or less OF potash, the potash salts
have SO per cent. As the potash is
what gives either their value, it Ia easy
to see that the potash salts are the
cheaper. We usually recommend the
muriate of potash for the Irish potato
crop, but the sweet potato is differ
ent matter. It's quality depends on its
| sweetness, and the muriate is not so
favorable to the secretion of sugar.
Hence we always recommend the sui
phate for crops in which sugar is an
| important constituent. Therefore if
you have piece of land that makes
rank sweet potato vines and but little
potatoes try a dose of potash in the
shape Of a muriate. In extensive ex-
periments st the Texas station it was
found that the muriate of potash was
not favorable to a good yield and that
nitrate of soda gave but little increase,
but the largest crop IN a series of 16
plats wes made by the application OF
| 300 pounds of bone black and 200
pounds of suIphate OF potash p r acre.
The ordinary acid phosphate we con
slider fully as good as the one black,
and would use it IN the South IN pref
| erenCp, as it IL here much the cheaper.
| Sweet potatoes, like Irish potatoes are
muca benefited by an abundance Of