The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-05-18
FertiIizing and CuItiYating sweet
Potatoes.

At the Texas experiment station care
ful series OF experiments have dcmou-
strated that the sulphate ana not the
muriate of potash, IS the best form of
potash for a sweet potato crop In fer
tilizing your crop. if you used stable ma
nure it should have been cJmposted with
leaves or some vegetable matter and thor
Oughiy decomposed. then oroa tcJsted rhis
VII supply a sufficient quantity OF nitro
gen and humus. but Will lack the right
proportion of potash and plosphoric acid
At the Georgia experiment station 10 was
found that the yield was larger ana more
satisfactory where commercial fertilizers
alone We're used. If the preceding crop
was peas the stubble dressed with lime
and turned under viii furnish a first
class foundation for good crop. After
this the proportion OF sulphate OF pot
ASH ana acid phosphate should De about
one part OF sulphate TO four parts acid,
and applied I'm the drill at the rate of
800 or 40 pounds TO the acre. The land
should have been thoroughly piOWed. but
not too deep. or else the potatoes may
grow long and crooked. This is one crop
that succeeds best on land broken to only
a moderate depth with "a firm suhsoil.
The crop should for the same reason be
cultivated as nearly on level as pOSsi-
BILE; the old plan OF very high bids has
been found unsatisfactory. AS the potato
is tropical plant, very little is gained
by early setting. We should wait FOR the
ground to become thoroughly warm and
regulate our planting according TO loca-
ton. Throughout the state May Is the
month i'm which the bulk of the crop is
planted. 1t is always preferable
to put out TIE slips be
account of the hard crust that forms
around them when the ground is wet al
the time of transplanting. We have sue
ceeded, with the loss of scarcely plant.
when the weather was dry, by opening the
holes pouring In Upper of water, setting
the plants IN deep, pressing Che wet earth
70 the roots. and covering with dry earta.
This may he done very rapidly, II the work
is systematized The plants should be
drawn carefully from the bed. and placed
at once where they are 10 remain.
If kept for any length Of time they should
be placed in buckets or tubs of water.
Having opened the holes, let one hand
go forward pouring IN the water, a second
come with the plants, dropping one al
each place and a third follow to press
them into the ground, and cover with the
dry dirt, leaving only the top of the slip
exposed As soon as the plants begin TO
grow cultivation should begin, and If size
and quality are desired they should not be
allowed TO root between the rows or i'm
the beds. If the crop is intended for the
care in this respect. The spring set plants
have not the keeping qualities of the later
settings. For this purpose and for seed po-
tatOes the cuttings are preferable. These
may he taken from the early settings and
quick plan TO set them Is 10 open the
furrOW on the bed which has been pre-
Viously tertilized. place the cuttings about
Is or is inches apart IN this furrow, throw
another turrOW to them and then tramp
the earth firmly to each cutting. leaving
from to inches out of the ground These
too. should he cultivated as soon as they
begin to grow. AS stated the cultivation
should be as nearly on level as possl-
BILE. shallow, and sufficient to keep down
all weeds and grass Hardwood ashes are
a good substitute for the sulphate of pot
ash, but unless the ashes are az hand in
sufficient quantities, that Is IL they have
to be bought, they are more expensive
than the high grade sulphate of potash.
a ton Of ashes contains only about 100
pounds of potash. 1t IS this potash which
gives them their value. and it is in
plants, but at the selling prices of ashes
and sulphate the latter will be found the
cheaper fertilizer.-State Agricultural De
partment