The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1898-05-17
THE FERTILIZATION OF THE
SWEET POTATO CROP.
Progressive Farmer.

SnSN why 10 ~ ID
that sweet potatoes on rich soil run to I,
vines and make no good roots ?' The r,
fact is that usually when potatoes act 4
in such manner ii is evidence that the
soil is deficient in something and is T.
not really as rich as the growth of d
vines would seem to indicate. A soil q
in which the elements of plant food 4
are perfectly balanced should grow q, v
better crop than a poor one. In old I
gardens, where the soil has been Iua- G
nured with stable manure for many {
years, he's sweet potato crop generally I
fails, aud the owner says it is because {
the soil is too rich. 1t is rather be- ,
cause there is a lack of balance In the
land. The stable manure AMI the or
ganic matter introduced with it have
iuade the soil rich in nitrogen, but
have not added a due proportion of the
other necessary ingredients that plants
require for their best success. The
nitrogen tends to provoke a luXuriaut
growth, and a full development of
foliage is essential To- the production of
starch in the plant, and starch being
one OF the chief matters stored by the
sweet potato, together with the sugar
which originates in the same way, one
would suppose that TIC luXuriant
foliage would be followed hy an album.
dant storing of starch and sugar in the
roots, and hence a good crop. But all
The organic matter IN the plant Is de-
pendent upon the manufacture of
starch in the leaves, and the formation
of starch is dependent upon the sup.
ply of potash i'll the soil. If then
there is only enough to keep
pace with the rapid development
OF leaves and stems in the soil
rich in nitrogen, there will be no
surplus for the plant TO store in
the roots, and hence small potatoes.
The stable manure has made the soil
rich in nitrogen, but has not supplied
a due proportion of potash and phos-
phoric acid. There being a deficiency
of these in proportion TO the nitrogen,
there is a rank growth of foliage, hut
no surplus starch to store in the roots.
The heaviest crop of sweet potatoes
we ever saw was grown on a piece OF
reclaimed marsh land, a deep, black
: pcaty soil, good for 100 bushels of
corn per acre. Part OF this land had a
, heavy dressing of unlcachcd ashes.
about half a ton per acre. On this
= part the big crop was crown. The re-
. mandcr, which did not have any
$ ashes, made magnificent vines but
D hardly a potato larger than ones little
o finger. 1t was the potash IN the ashes
e that made all the difference between a
5 phenomenal crop and a dead failure.
The half ton of ashes had about SO
. pounds of actual potash, and cost 81. 80,
aud while the application pail well, the
a same amount of potash could have been
V applied III h form of high grade sui
phttc of potash for SO or less. When
we recommend the high grade sui
n ph2tc and muriatc of potash, some im-
ayinc that because these sell for So
II TO $50 per ton, and ashes can be had
y for So PEI ton, that they had better
buy thh ashes. They do not reflect
Il that while the ashes have but 5 per
cent. or less of potash, the potash
salts have so per cent. AS the potash
is what gives either their value, it is
easy to see that the potash salts are the
: cheaper We usually recommend the
muriatc OF potash for the Irish potato
crop, but the sweet potato is a differ.
ent matter. Its quality depends on
,e It's sweetness, and the muriale 10 not
&c so favorable to the secretion of sugar.
c Hence we always recommend the sui
o phatc for crops in which sugar is an
g important constituent. Therefore if
=, you have Il piece of land that makes
rank sweet potato vines and but little 30.
taioeS, try a,iosc of potash in the shane
OF Il murlatc. In extensive cXneri.
mcnts at the Texas station il was
found that the muriatc of potash was
not favorable TO Il good Weld and that
u nitrate of soda gave but little increase.
- but the largest crop in a series of II
- plats was made by the application oil
d 300 pounds of Done black aud 2OC
1t pounds of sulphate of potash per acre.
j" The ordinary acid phosphate we con.
% sldcr fully as good as the bone black
and would use ii in the South IN pre-.
ference, as it is here much the cheape~
n Sweet potatoes, like Irish potatoes. arc
much henefltcd by All abundance OF
vegetable matter IN the soil. If this
has not been supplied by the growing
- OF peas IL clover previously, the best
thung l. to haul the leaves and rottcd
mold from a pine woods and spread il
o broadcast all over the land before
d blowing for tho crop. Tusn tins under
e ana get 1t well mixed with the soil be.
lore laying out the rows and applying
the fertilizers. Many sweet potato
: growers in the section of southern Vir-
ginia, where this is an important mar
kct crop, are making The mistrke of
surposlng that salt Chloride of So
dlum) is a special manure for sweet
potatoes, and arc using large quanti-
Ties OF salt IN connection with the leaf
nlold. The only effect the sail NAV
nave Is t" check the rapid nitrilica-
ton and SO proven; the plants from
making too much vine. The same
thing could be accomplished by the
use OF kainit in the compost, and thus
get the potash too. But the quality
and sweetness of The crop must be in
JureG by the presence of the chlorine.
even If the quantity is not diminished.
Better results can be had from using
the sulphate alone as a source of pot
ash, ana spend no money for salt,
which is not plant food.
The cotton rpDOrt pf tbo no,>,,