Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1903-03-18
The Cultivation OF Sweet Potatoes.

As a general thing cut vines will
yield more and better potatoes than
draws and they will also keep better.
] have, heretofore, decided by ac-
tual test that if over grown draws
be cut in the middle, thus making
two plants out of each draw, the tops
will exceed the tuber in yield nearly
two to one. Also that If the vines on
properly constructed bed run from
three to four feet and then cut into
lengths of three leaves each (if the
leaves are far apart two will answer)
these cuttings will exceed draws Of
proper size in yield about SO per
cent.
Cuttings with one and two leaves
appear to do well, but the test was
not considered fair one and there
fore the result is not given.
A substitute for hot bed: Con-
struct or procure box of proper
size and place therein fine stable ma
nure to the depth of IL to 13 inches,
applying water as the manure is
placed. The manure should be gently
packed, but not too firmly. Then place
on the manure proper quantity of
any convenient roughage, preferably
wheat straw. After gentle warmth
has been developed place the pota-
toes on the straw to the depth of
about 8 inches and cover with old
clothes or anything of the kind to
retain the moisture. Excessive heat
should be checked with tepid water
poured over the potatoes and manure.
The potatoes should be KEEP moist by
an occasional application of tepid
water. In few days sprouts will
appear, when the potatoes should be
removed to a bed, constructed as fol-
lows:
Construct loose bed, slightly raised,
about three feet broad in preferably
rich, sandy soil. Then for each twelve
feet of bed apply two pounds of kai-
nit, or half pound of muriate of
potash in lieu of the kainit, and one
and a half pounds of acid phosphate.
Apply light coating of soil to the
bed, which will prevent the fertilizer
from injuring the potatoes. Then
place the potatoes endwise in the
parallel rows, one foot apart, leaving
proper space between the ends of
the potatoes. Then cover about two
inches deep.
BY developing growing state be-
fore the potatoes are placed they are
not apt to rot in the bed. l have
tested the plan with excellent results.
If properly prepared potatoes may
be placed on bed from the tenth to
the 18th of April, they will, in this
climate, (North Carolina) be in
ample'time to produce large yield.
Early transplanting from hot bed
not good: Proper tests have shown
that draws transplanted early in the
aeascn frcn; the hot bed were ex.
celled by those transplanted several
weeks later from cold bed; the lat
ser commenced running first. But if
the vines had remained on the hot
bed until they were three or four feet
long the case might have been differ
ent. The heat of the bed would
have materially run down and conse.
quently there would have been but
little difference between the temper
ature of the bed and that of the sur
rounding soil.
When the vines are cut from the
stubs from two to four leaves may be
left on the stubs. Succors will soon
appear, the top succor usually lead
ing. When this succor attains a
length of three or four inches cut and
remove one joint from the stub. In
a few days remove another joint and
succor, and so on until all are taken.
These several cuttings may be rooted
according to plan that will soon be
given. / will state here that when
vines are cut in proper lengths, the
pieces containing the blade (these
pieces should be longer than the 9TH
erO will slightly exceed in yield any
of the remaining pieces.
Thinning the draws: From one
\ fourth to one-half of the first crop of
draws may he nnlled off. laavinn tho