Milford chronicle., 1908-07-31
Needs of the Sweet POta toes.

1t is not profitable to set ont III,
sweet potato plants to soon. I
is better to set them out now thar
to have done so month ago. Ii
fact, many of the failures in grow
ing this crop can be traced to set.
ting out the plants too early in the
season.
The sweet potato requires warm
nights and plenty of sunshine dur
ing the growing season. A moder-
ately fertile sandy loan, which does
not contain an excess Of organic
matter, is suitable for the growth Of
this plant. In South Jersey sweet
potatoes are grown successfully on
a pure sandy soil with yellow clay
subsoil. In fact, the sweet potato
thrives on soils that are too poor
for other crops. But it should not
be continuously planted in the same
place; rotation is the keynote of
success.
1t is necessary to have good
drainage. The original plan of
planting upon high ridges was for
the purpose ofsecuring better drain
age. The surface soil should ex-
tend to a depth of six or eight
inches, and the subsoil should be
of such a nature that it will carry
excessive moisture without leach
ing away the fertilizers applied to
the land. If there is too great
depth of loose surface soil, or an al
luvial soil having no subsoil, the
potatoes will be long and irregular,
for marketing. On the
other hand, a loose, sandy surface
soil underlain by a well-drained |
clay subsoil, will tend to produce |
the type of rather thick, spindle
formed potato that commands the
highest price,
A prominent factor in the prepar-
alton of land for this crop in the
depth of blowing On soils of too
great depth before the subsOil IS
reached very shallow blowing
should be practiced, leaving the
soil firm below, against which the
roots must force their way. Should
the surface soil be Of insufficient
depth, it can be increased gradu-
ally by blowing a little deeper each
year or by subsoiling in the fur
rows, behind the regular turning
pillow.
An excessive amount Of organic
matter in the soil has a tendency
to produce an abundant growth Of
vines at the cost of the roots. On
soils that do not contain sufficient
matter to produce a fair
growth Of vine the potatoes will be
small and the yield unsatisfactory.
On lands that are deficient in or
,anic matter stable manure is re-
as a fertilizer. Heavy :
publications. of fresh manure before ,
,lanting will stimulate both the
-rOwth of weeds and the vines at
he expense of the roots. Well
Otted stable manure NAV be used l
t the rate of 10 to IS carloads to L
be acre, spread broadcast OF be- t
cath the ridges. and narrowed in Il
D the soil but it is always best to
pply the manure with the crop h
rown the previous season. In Z
nat way the manure will become c
thoroughly incorporated with the "
oil and become somewhat reduced B
efore the sweet potatoes are plant "
/ upon the land. a
The sweet potato is one Of the
w crops that thrives equally well,
not better, upon commercial fer L
lizers as it does upon stable "
ianure. On the majority of lands "
lie fertilizer should contain 3 to .
er cent of nitrogen, 6 or 7 per Il
INT of phosphoric acid and to 10 - -
er cent of potash. =
A mixture adapted to the grow ~
g of sweet potatoes on most soils "
ay be made by combining the g
flowing Two hundred pounds Of
sulphate of ammonia,
per cent pure; 200 pounds OF n
led blood or 500 pounds Of fish
rap; 1900 pounds Of acid phos- &c
late, II per cent pure 400
FUNDS of highgrade muriate Of
flash. 20 Der cent Dlre.