The Savannah morning news., 1904-03-14

The sweet Potato.
The sweet" potato is par excellence
the tuber crop Of the south. We grow
a very fair supply Of them. but moth
ing like what we should and We do
not give that consideration TO quality
that We should. The finest table po-
tatoeE are not easily had IN any OF
our markets for any considerable
length Of time. The best table pota-
toes may not be the best keeping ones
and as IL happens those that keep the
best until March are the kinds most
likely 10 be propagated the natural
tendency is TO steady deterioration in
the quality Of the tubers Some very
productive potatoes. and good enough
70 raise for stock are yet very poor
for table purposes. For instance. the
monster "Haytl yam" with its tur-
pentine flavor that on good potato soil
produces tubers as large and as round
as a mans head and easily yields
crop Of 300 or 800 bushels 10 the acre
how unlike such potato for table use
r. the cld-time Georgia yam" OF the
Pink Spanish" the latter with its
banana-like form growing nearly as
long as your arm in well prepared
rich potato soil. Neither Of these two
splendid table potatoes are grown TO
anything like the same extent that
they were thirty years ago. Inferior
kinds have gradually supplanted these
until now the average quality OF our
table potatoes may be said 10 be found
in nothing better than the Bunch yam,
or the Pumpkin yam. They are excel
lent kinds compared TO the Hayti or
other dry. coarse varieties, but they
fvF 70. he II
FIRST mentioned as they are superior to
the poorer kinds alluded 10.
Without question there is an OPP
portunity'' for one or more intelligent
farmers In every Southern county In
choosing out one or two best table va
Tleties Of pota toes ana then take the
necessary care 70 establish a pure
strain Of seed. and then keep them
pure from year 10 year by proper Sc
lection or rather rejection. In time. no
doubt. there would be a large demand
for such both for table use and for
seed purposes. There is such a vast
difference between the best and the
poorest Of the many varieties Of pOta-
toes IL Is evident there is great need
for intelligent and persistent effort to-
wards developing q few more good va
rieties for table use.
Where one makes a speciality Of this
crop or even II only 10 the extent Of
making it the third in Importance and
esteeming it merely as the chief Of
side" crops, II IL important that the
necessary arrangements for securing
plants early and abundantly be made.
Well managed cold frames are nee
essary TO the purpose and are really to
be preferred 10 not beds. A stronger
better plant Is provided by cold-frame
culture than can be had by the ordl-
nary not bed.
The middle Of April is early enough
70 make the first setting out any
where in the lower half Of Georgia,
and il perfectly easy to make the
plants ready by that time when grown
In well made and well managed cold
frames. These should be made as air
tight az possible, and the glass should
be nut on a week or two before time
to bed. Thus keeping out any cold
rains of February and with the accu-
mutation of sun heat from day to day
the soil Of the frames will acquire all
SUFFICIENT heat by the latter part of
February to terminate the sprouts al
most as promptly as when bottom heat
is used as in the case Of hot beds.
The time to bed is from Feb Is to
March 10. BY proper watering and
working and use of the glass strong,
stock plants can be had as early as
April l. little earlier or later ac-
cording as the season is early or late.
Cold-frame raised plants are much to
be preferred to any grown in hot beds.
The plants are healthier and they are
more readily protected from insects
than when grown in the open ground.
As the potatoes begin TO give indi-
cations of sprouting the frame should
be left open on all warm days, when
there Is no danger of frost, so as to
admit the air and rain, too. II not a
cold one. AS the sprouts pop through
the soil should be worked with a rake
or other implement II no rain falls
at the needed time the frame should
be freely watered and II practicable
with water warmed up to so or 100
degrees.
In four to six weeks from bedding
the plants will be large enough for
transplanting. A second crop of plants
can be taken from the beds I'm the
course of two weeks. Enough potatoes
should be bedded so that two drawings
will supply all necessary plants.
While II is desirable to start the crop
on as early as possi ble-in April say
still almost as good crops can be made
by setting out plants in May and,
though not as large perhaps, still very
profitable crops can be grown from
planting out as late as the middle of
June. We have known of some very
good crops even where the plants were
put out early In July.
In making a big crop Of potatoes
much depends upon the proper prepar-
alton of the land. and If II is properly
fertilized and put In first-class shape
before the plants are put out cultiva-
ton Will be very easy.
For bunch yams the rows need not
be further apart than two and "A half
feet, but for the running sorts rows
should be not less than three feet
After blowing the rows should be
laid of and listed upon. Then what
ever fertilizer Is TO be used should be
spread along this list or half bed, al
lowing u TO fall on both sides. The
beds may be completed just before
time 10 set out. or the plants cap bc
fct Out on the half bed. completing
me bedding later on.
II az all dry az setting out time II
VIII be Hreat help 10 roll the beds
20 nH 20 firm the soil
II any crop deserves 400 or 500 pounds
ei good complete fertilizer II ~ sweet
pptAioef on good potato land. with
the ald Of that mich fertilizer, u d