The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-08
Profits From sweet Potatoes.

The sweet potato is perhaps the fav-
orite vegetable in the home gardens of
the south, but is very little grown in the
private garden in northern states, writes
a Tennessee grower in Farm and Fireside
Truckers grow them to some extent
around large cities in the north; the aV-
erage farmer does not grow them for the
market.
The sweet potato is not very easy to
keep through winter unless properly man
aged, and this is the, great drawback to
their being universally grown, like the
Irish potato. The latter may be indiffer
emily handled, but the sweet must be
hauled in a spring wagon, and neither
SCARED nor bruised. One portion of the
Irish potato may be damaged and the
other part sound. When portion of the
sweet potato is affected the whole root
is injured. The sweet potato may be ap-
parently in a sound condition, and yet
unfit for table use. Decay, however, soon
results. A most important point, then.
In growing the sweet potato, especially for
the winter and spring market, is careful
handling, prudent management and prop
er storage. This point, more than any
other, will affect the profit and loss.
When sold on the early market the
difficulty and danger of keeping them is
avoided. l have always made larger
profits from early diggings than from any
other-often as much as 500 per acre.
plant early settings the last Of April and
the first of May when danger from frost
is past, and dig and market in August
here is Oct l. Prices then are lowest
often as low as 10 cents per bushel l
usually average from 40 to 80 cents
bushel on early dfggings. Grabbing is
not advisable. II is better to wait until
later and dig. Really. early diggings are
not to be recommended. The difference
in yield will have to be made up in higher
prices TO be profitable, and there are not
many buyers at fancy prices.
Prices usually range well in late winter
and early spring-from 20 to Is cents per
h1IGnnl Under 1v,a
so cents per bushel are very remunera-
tive prices; more so than corn at 50 cents
wheat at q cents and cotton at cents
Heavy, black loans, undrained lands, al
kaline soils and soils strongly impregnat-
ed with ammonia are not so well ADAPTED
to the sweet potato; but the average soil
gives satisfactory results. 1t Is best suit
ed to clay soils and sandy clay loans
On strong, sandy clay loan well drain
ed the sweet potato, say the Queen,
should yield ordinarily from 200 to 200
bushels per acre. Some soils that are too
poor for anything else will give satisfac-
tory returns with the sweet potato.
The variety has much to do with ear
illness, productiveness, market demands,
and adaptability to soil and climate The
Queen type suits southern taste, and the
southern markets demand It, The Nanse-
mond suits the northern taste and the
northern markets demand it. The old
fashioned southern farmer thinks there
is nothing on earth that win equal the
yellow yam, while the northern consumer
sees nothing remarkable about it, The
south likes a soft, juicy potato. while the
north prefers a dry, mealy root There
may be a difference in the way they are
prepared for the table that makes a diff
ference in the taste, or the climate, soil
or customs may have an influence But
whatever the difference, the trucker mar
ket gardener, commission merchant and
retailer have 10 adapt themselves ac-
cordingly.
I individually prefer the yellow yam TO
bake in an oven-especially the old-fash-
Toned fireplace oven-the niger choker
to fry and the queen for general use
l prefer the queen for the market for
there is more demand for II in the south
and prefer the Nansemond to ship north
For early market I grow the Strasburg
queen type, to which belongs the Shang-
hal, are the easiest to cultivate the most
productive, the best keepers, and, on the
whole, the most satisfactory for general
purposes, and the most profitable for
market. In fact, there is practically no
ket.
The Shanghai is not so good in quality
as the queen, but is equally as thrifty
and hardy in growth, 50 per cent. more
productive, and cannot be distinguished
from 1t. Its fine appearance makes it sell
well, and its productiveness makes it
early 1t VIII, perhaps, produce edible
roots further north than any other va
riety. This variety Is not very widely
known. For stock it is especially to be
yields. ind it the most profitable potato
IN my list.
The Strasburg is a good early potatos
and very productive. II has but two
roots to the hill, which soon attain re-
markable size. The roots are large, rough
frail The plant does not stand upright,