The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-03-06
BEDDING SWEET POTATOES.

HlUUUV. InuS forming Il DOIIUDlt IS tloN
Of the size desired for bed. The ltox
may be about IS inches deep: next. place
Oh the bottcm. green tops to the depth
Of at least eight inches and pack down
well. The tops should contain aS LITTLE,
wood Il may be convenient. wet them
well with water. i hen place on the
TOPS about + inches OF ricl. soil. prefera-
lily sandy. For the II sdue Of covering
form Il 9niXtEre as follows. For every
bushcl OF potatoes to BE bedded take
about > bushels OF fine stable manure
ANA mix Herewith q pounds Of kainit
and t pounds acid phosphate, or Il.
pounds Of mur'iate Of potash may be used
III lieu OF kainit; these clements cor
rect the excess Of nitrogen i'll the stable
manure. and az 4 result Will give the
plants Il healthy send off. The mixture
should be about two inches deep,
making in all about 6 inches that is over
the pine tops. Let the bed stand thus
until it begins to heat. III orlei to pre-.
vent the escape of heat beneath the
boards bank well with soil on the out
side at bottom, especially at the corners
/ \ bed for this climate should be CON
stlucted about March 2Sth CT %. About
the 9th or 9th OF April the bed will be
warm, when the potatoes may be placed
and covered with said mixture to the
depth Of about :! inches. Many people
cover their potatoes too deep. thus caHs-
ing the shanks OF the sprouts to be long
and slender. They Should be covered to
4 sufficient depth only to keep the pota-
toes properly moist. The bed should be
We'll watered 1T the start and if the
rain fall he scant water thoroughly once
4 week thereafter.
/ In placing the potatoes | prefer to set
! them in rows across the bed about S
.l,o-. Il.
/ ends The large potatoes should be pllc-
ed ut enc end of the bed. the small 1T
/ the ether end and medium sized IL the
| middle. The tops Of the potatoes will
! thus be III line which will enable them
to he covered to uniform depth.
The vines may be left on the bed until
! they rum from , to i feet. when they
! may Le cut leaving generally one leaf
en- the stub. 1hc vines may then Ice
out into lengths cf threo leaves each and
| set out in the usual Way. buryin@ TWO
leaves and leaving one out.
| What appears to he Il !etter plan IS
to construct 4 loaSe bed of proper width
in rich loose soil. Then shove the plants
down TO 4 proper depth. preferably not
| sufficiently close for them to touch. Then
settle wel with water. Water OCCASION
| ally until they commence sprouting Then
DIG up and set out III the usual way. Do
| not pull them Up. lest you break the
roots.
ANOTHER WAY.
When the vines run ont Il proper lGngt1
| the buds may be pinched out and left
| thH~ until suckers make their appear
ance. Nht" the suckers get about IL
inches long cut the vines off as aforesaid
and then cut into pieces Of one leaf only
The cuttings may then be set, wi h o.
without roofing. taking care to leave the
top of the sucker above ground.
A second cutting may he procured and
treated as aforesaid, after which the
sprouts may be drawn and set ont in the
usual way and the bed torn MP
II appears to be an undi>puted fact
that more potatoes and better potatoes
can be grown from vines, cut rs Afore-
said. than can he from sprouts. More
than this it is generally conceded that
potatoes grown from cuttings Will keep
better. another advantage is that al
least three times the quantity Of ground
can be set from cuttings. Sprouts. how
ever. are better fer carly potatoes.
/ viii state here that | have used
stable manure. partially rotted wheat
straw, oak leaves and pine tops in the
construction Of hot beds They all an
severed Il fairly coed purpose. In an act
ual test found pine tops much sUpe rier
to oak leaves.
Last year used tops alone The led
was constructed March 29th. April 9Th
the potatoes were placed, the bed then
being pleasantly warm. April 30th We
had a good bed of sprouts large enough
| 10 set out. but we Let the vines grow for
cutting purposes. \ sui tciencv nf sta
nle manure WAS mixed with soil 10 serve
for fertilizer purposes. hut We depended
wholly on the pine tops fer heat which
was ample and entirely satisfactory No
kairit nor acid phosphate waS used, but
they could doubtless have hcsn aivan-
ta@eouSly employed.
HE potatoes were placed 4 inches apart
lyut | believe inches would give better
) results. When setting out sprouts they
should he placed no deeper than they
grow on the bed. Cuttings should also
, be planted Droportonately Y shallow. The
) potatoes viii thus form near the surface
where they can receive the benefit Of the
heat and air.
From loo to 1.oCO bushels Of pot l.
toes are said to have been grown on an
acre. Hence the potatoe crul, is Il very
valuable one. To obtain best results Il
we'll rotted clover or pea so,l that was
properly fertilized, Sho1ld be employed.
II ii sod he impractical. a fertilizer com
posed OF the following ingredients may be
used. Nitrogen I per cent. pho>pho ric
: acid. Per cent. potash Q per cent
: Apply in the drill about 100 pounds
per acre and mix thoroughly with the
soil.
Instead of the above Il mixture of 2H,'
pounds Of acid phosphate 80 pounds of
, GOTTEN seed meal and 2Gn pounds OF mr-
riate OF potash may be used per acre.
| Will state here that there is no 1l>o
Gf bedding potatoes earlier than the
time. stated. frequently to rot in tht,
ground. 1t is not 4 good plan to transfer
! plants from warm bed to the cold
: ground. Hence the advantage Of letting
the vines run for cutting purposes. az
the bed and surrounding ground Will by
: this time approximate the same tcnpera-
ture.
By 4 plau that will hnrca flor no friycn