The Southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1895-1909, 1908-10-24

sweet potatoes. The potatoes grown here are the
varieties like the Big Stem Jersey which are the
popular sorts for the Northern markets They are
certainly pret;ier than our Southern yams. but
how dry and choky they are. and lacking In the
ieIly-like sweetness OF the yams But the people
who have never gotten used 20 the yama and do
not know how 10 cook them. prefer these dry po-
tatoes. and. Of course. the growers must cater to
the markets they serve.
saw on the field visited IT'S three-pcck has
kets piled with The largest potatoes on half an
acre and the ground was pretty wsl covered be-
tween the rows with the small ones showing that
the crop is ane One hand. with n mule.
sas going through the rows cutting the wines.
This IN done with revolving cutter like a sharp
disk. IL IN attached 20 beam aud handles like a
pillow. and ahead Of the revolving cutter il cast
iron fender sloping backward press down the
vines and prevent their riding up over the cutter.
pair 81 mules 30 No 90 Oliver pov turned
the potatoes out and the short vines left enabled
the pickers TO gather them without hoes or hooks
and pull them OF into baskets or drop the little
along the rows. Thus the work waa more
rapidly done than II the vines cut OF right
AZ the hill
Nj friend has potato house holding 1000 bush
els As soon the potatoes are In he applies the
heat and the temperature up fo 100 degree
till they dried OF. and after that there IL no
difficulty in keeping them II the temperature II
not allowed 20 drop boIow as and is k~pt not
nj tim. they wifi sproat around the neck.
These potato houses becoming common
Ia various parts of the country. Some years ago
I furnished plans for 10 farmer in South
Carolina Meeting him az Clemson College next
year tn August. be- told mo that the house had
been such perfect succ~~a that he then feed
Ing sweet potatoes 10 hts hog. ~ get them out Of
The way of the new crop. whrn once under
stand the conditions needed there IN NO fisHenhy
in keeping Hanei potatoes I'll sh- ones Of the
next summer come In.
The ~hoI. idea IN IN dry them 80 rapidly At
high temperature tfEl sh~v have passed through
the respiration sweating which they must tn
~w4tahiv pass through n they arc allowed "a
get chilled al this stage. and tho moisture pro-
ducna In not dried 90. there wii be- conditions
favorable to the rot But w~li dried OF
there wfI be no farther sweating. and they can b~
kept cool
The same conditions ran be had to a great
tent In the South By tho proper handling Of tbs
potatoes in heaps The important paint ~ TO have
the heaps under shed 10 protect them from rain
Then ptare not more than twenty-five bushels In
heap. under whirh put \ foot ~ dry pine straw
The pine leaves should De raknd in dry wra,h~r
and stored under cover I'LL the potatoes are duw
AS soon heap tn made. cover u 'hirkly with
the pine Ktraw II The shed il made with tbs
north aide closed and fully open on the south sid"
that the sun can shine In the hrapm. ihr9
wiil dry 90 under the dry pine straw ~
the nights gruw cool examine them and III dry
then put aix-inrh cover OF dry earth. and u
Tho potatoes have been properly handled In th'
digging. and have not been bruised In handiins
them. they wilt ks~p very w~ll In this ~ay.
But any growing sweet potatoes for mar
ke; should build a house with d~adrn~d walls
NAT ia walls sh1athnd on both sides tightly ans
with dead air space between and a vcnttlator o'
Top Then make furnace like a tobacco hAri
with auea running overhead ia the house. SO tina
temperature such a tobacco cnrer would an'
at nrnt for killing the leaf be applied TO dr.
on the potatoes
Where there II good drainage. ! would buil'
haeh house haif under ground and bank tn
earth 20 the caves outside aud would cell II over