The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-02

The sweet potato is par excellence
the side crop Of the Southern farmer.
1t is a poor farmer that has not his
patch of potatoes and it is a very wise
one that makes just as many of them
as he possibly can. Among roots and
tubers as an article of human food, they
should be regarded as pre-eminent-
far superior to the white or Irish po-
tato. The latter to be sure are used
TO a greater extent the world over. but
il is only for the reason that our own
sweets are not so we'll known. For one
we would not give one bushel of our
best sweet potatoes for two bushels
of the Irish" however much We may
value the latter as an occasional arti-
Gle of food. The Irishman and the
Yankee reverses this estimate of their
relative value, but We must allow
something for their ignorance. Neither
of them probably have ever had true
Georgia yam served up to them IN
proper style in any one of its many
various forms Their idea of prepar-
ing a potato for the table is to boil 1t,
that a potato boiled is a potato spoiled.
In this day and generation there are
many different varieties of sweet po-
tatoes-not so many as there are OF
Irish of course-but enough TO make
il very important in selecting kind
to grow specially for table use. Our
potatoes have become badly mixed, too,
and it is not an easy matter 10 get
pure and unmixed strain of the best
a
in the various varieties.
The bunch yam is not bad klnd,
neither is the pumpkin yam, but both
of these are far inferior to the old
Georgia yam of cherished memory, and
the pink skin Spanish. 1t is rare that
either of these two most desirable ia
BILE kinds can be found In our markets
NOWADAYS.
There is no question that the growing
of superior table varieties could be
made very profitable by many farmers
contiguous to our large towns and
cities, and a shipping demand could be
easily created for a considerable sur
plus.
There are thousands of possible con-
sumers for our Incompatible Georgia
yam" and Spanish pink In the cities OF
Boston, New York and Philadelphia, II
they could only once be shown what a
first-class table-sweet potato was.
There is as much difference between a
sugary Georgia yam and Hayt yam
as there is between "waxey' irish
potato and a "mealy" Irish potato.
It should be the endeavor of every
intelligent potato grower to restock
himself with a choice variety that
would be sought after for table use.
In a few years he could develop de-
lnand for them that would justify their
culture perhaps to the extent of many
acres-if not fifty, at least fifteen or
twenty.
On land specially adapted to the crop
II is not difficult to make it produce
anywhere from 300 to 500 bushels of po-
tatoes to the acre.
Where one undertakes to make some
thing of a speciality in growing pota-
toes for market, the very best arrange
ment for providing the plants should be
made Here in the South cold frames
answer the purpose fully-bottom neat
not being necessary. Where the glass
sash is used properly to collect the sun
heat and to keep out any cold rain in
March, the potatoes bedded in the
frames between Feb. 25 and March 20.
will furnish plants ready to be set out
by April IS. and this is as early as they
need be set out anywhere in Georgia.
May-set plants produce generally
maximum crop, and plants set out the
first half of June will do nearly as we'll.
For fully two months the planting can
be continued after starting in April. In
this respect potatoes are almost as ac-
oommodating as cotton.
The thing is to have the soil in first
class condition to receive the plants.
Comparatively little work is required
to make the CROP once the plants are
we'll rooted in the soil. The cultivation
must be prompt and altogether shallow.
Frames furnished half with glass and
half with Vanished cloth do about as
we'll as those with all glass in getting
the plants ready by April Is. And it
is we'll to remember. potatoes are not
an exhaustive crop. They leave the soil
in pretty condition for wheat or oats.