The Savannah morning news., 1903-09-14
Notes from n Southern Truck Gar
den.


Three valuable crops are frequently
started within the year on the same
plat Irish potatoes are usually plant
ed either on or just before st. Valen-
tines Day-Feb. IA. Early sorts are
planted and mature fully by June 1.
Sweet potato plants are in readiness
and are set out on this land by the 9TH,
not later than 18th. OF course the soil
is in a very fine and friable condition
and very little cultivation is required
to make a maximum crop of sweet po-
tatoes. 1t is really wonderful how
rapid the growth is. In a little while
the vines cover the soil. BY Oct. Is
the potatoes are ready for market.
The soil is easily put in shape for the
third crop and this is either spinach
or onions-sometimes cabbage. If per-
chance the frost to kill the vines is de-
layed as late as the 10th or 5th of No
vember the land is reserved for English
peas. These are sown about the last
of November or as late as Dec. Is.
This makes two crops matured and a
third one started in the course of ten
months. Whatever of stable or lot
manure is used is applied to the third
or winter-growing crop-applying it
freely broadcast after the crop is
planted. The winter rains wash out
into the soil such elements of fertility
as become soluble and the manure
loses its rankness by spring.~so that
there is no danger to the ensuing
crop Only the dwarf varieties of
English peas are used for this early
planting and usually two or three
kinds are mixed together. The rows
need not be wider than eighteen inches
for the dwarfs. The seeds are drilled
along as evenly as possible twenty
five or thirty to the running foot. Be
fore sowing the seeds are washed so
as to throw out all defective ones.
The sowing is made thickly as stated
to allow for the cut worms and the
cold thinning out some of the plants
during the winter and spring. 1t is
also wonderful the quantity of peas
that can be made from the dwarf
kinds when thus sown in the winter
and allowed to get Well-rooted while
there is an abundance of water in the
soil. 1t is not intended to cultivate
the peas until growing weather sets
in about early March. If any hardy
weeds should spring up in the winter
they should be destroyed with the
hoe. disturbing the soil as little as
possible while there is any likelihood
of freeze or heavy frost. If the peas
We're to bloom too early-before frosts
were over--they might be killed.
To produce large crops of these peas
ii is essential to have the soil very
rich in mineral matter-lime, potash
and phosphoric acid. OF course there
must be enough nitrogen there also
enough to make good vines to bea
the pods. But we lay stress upon tn,
necessity of plenty of potash anC
phosphoric acid. We have seen 30
bushel baskets of pods per acre gath
cred from "Downup" garden in day
gone by. This is practicable any
where on suitable soil.
What crop should follow the Englisl
pea? Generally at D. tomatoes
succeeded. When the peas wer,
through bearing in May it required
very little blowing TO start the toma
toes. Rows were laid off in ever,
other pea row and listed upon. Afte
the plants We're set out the midde
were thoroughly plowed out with
scooter-the vines being plowed ~
with the last furrow. We could 90 OF
and describe the rotations closely Mt
ting in TO the number of a dozen o
more but we had better dispose o
them in seriatim. In this case tn,
crop after tomatoes was cowpeas-ai
humus crop. The rule at Downul
was one hunus crop TO four takei
from the land