The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1904-02-25
sweet Potatoes.

sweet Potatoes.
Down South when you say "Pot%-
toes. YOU are understood 10 he speak
ing about sweet potatoes. Up North
and everywhere else when YOU say
Potatoes you are supposed 10 refer
to Irish potatoes. Sweet potatoes are
of tropical origin: but they grow well
i'll the temperate climate al along the
lower belt
There are quite Il number of varie-
ties and they differ considerably III
their characteristics and comparative
value. Generally speaking. they con-
tain i very high per cent of starch
which makes thenI valuable for food
both for men and animals OF the farm.
Some varieties contain also quite Il
good pc, cert. Of sugar. These are
more highly esteemed 70" table use.
The flesh is yariUuSly colGrcl from Il
milky white to u deep yellow. Inc
yellow are the swerter and sell higher
in the markets. Some have Il white
skin. SOM" Il yellow skin, and some Il
deep red. The latter generally have
very white flesh. and are not highly
esteemed fUr the table. They are
called vans, poplar roots. Spanish Her-
mudaS. Niger heads. and 50 on. He
sides, they have various local names
from the parties who grow y ';i"nlar
variety successfully Ne nave the
: Norton YAM. the Georgia yam. The
pumpkin yam, tho old-fashioned yam.
the yineles: yam. the Jersey yam. and
so on. The vans have 4 more or less
forked leaf The others generally have
: solid leaf
Sweet potatoeS are cooked i'll IL va
riety of ways. 10 suit the taste OF the
consumer \ grated potato pudding
cooked Grown, and the crust stirred
in and then Drowned again. and THIS
repeated several times. is dish that
can hardly bc surpassed. Potatoes
and 'posSum' are prOvcrbai dish
that enjoys 4 great reputation. Gus
tardS, sliced pies. dressed. baked,
roasted ard fried are :: few of The
ways of serving them. Perhaps roaSi-
ing in the ashes preserves their full
flavor better than any 0thCr method
of cooking. When General Marion
and his braves liyed on roasted r"ta'
toes and fought the British soldiers
aud Tories, they were ne on Laru
rations Ivy any means.
Prepare tie land deep and harrow
we'll. Then lay of rows three ana one
half feet. put in somc sort ot rotlinS
vegetation 10 keep the bed mcll0w.
Then usc phosphate and kainit. or
muriate. freely and bed HAT Put some
mere potash just before You set slips,
and mix il IN with harrow. This
will freshcn UP The soil. Kill young
grass and weeds. and help .ounS slips
or vines 10 live. Plenty OF potash VIII
make the potatoes plump and smooth
and sweet.
The vines cut or pinchcd oil with
three or four leaves. aud planted so as
10 cover all hut the top one. will live
easily. ara make good crop. Many
prefer the vines To the slips.
They can be set any tiEie from Aprii
to August. If TOO much nitrogen IS
used, the potatoes will bc apt 10 crack
as they grow. DO not wait for rain,
set the slips and put tint Of water TO
each and cover With dry soil and they
will grow of better tEan ii planted H.
The mud.
Ecep them clean. ;ira$S aud weeds
do more damage "a potatoes than 10
Any other crop we have ;riCd. The
vines should not b2 covered with the
soil. for then they Will take root and
injure the potatoes. Neither Shculd
the vines be cut or pulled. The leaves
are the lungs and the workshop. fEr
food is here made into milk ard sent
to the potatoes.
AS soon us mature ;hcy should be
dug. Use long pl0ws So a$ 10 avoid
cutting them. Take OUT al! bruised
ones and put the potatoes i'll Your home
cellar or hill and cover VERY lightly.
leaving opening at the Top :" that the
steam may freely escape. When this
has ceased to form. and III" potatoes
are dry and cool cover them 80 is L"
prevent al possibility of frost or
freeze. If this work is carefully done.
no potatoes need ever be !o>t. No
moisture should reach them.
Clemson College, S. C.. has perfected
a process by which evaporated p0ta-
toes can be kept Indefinitely. II yon
are interested. write them for bulletin.
Potatoes yield from twenty-five TO
200 hundred bushels per acre. They
sell from twenty-five cents 10 one dol
lar per bushel Early i'll season or very
late they sell higher still. They are
very valuable 10 feed 10 chickens,
hogs, COWS ard horses. Hogs are
made very fat on them.
Two to three hundred bushels is moi
an unusual yield, promising an iEcom"
of from one hundred 10 two hundred
dollars per acre.. Y. HEun!cUtt, III