The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-07-08
POINTS ON THE SWEET POTATO.
Interesting Bulletin just Issued at
Clemson.
Clemson.

SlcIIlSCH.
The South Carolina experiment
station at Clemson College has just
issued Bulletin No. 146 on Sweet
Potato Work in 1902" by T. e.
Ncitt. chemist Of the station. After
giving a review of the sweet potato
investigation work at the South Car
olina station, and at other stations,
the bulletin makes full report OF
experiments conducted there, the
object being: Cd to show the con-
tents of fermenlable carbohydrates
and their utilization as source OF
alcohol: (2) to give information re-
garding the value of potatoes as
food stuff; (3) to obtain results as
to the fertlizing elements removed
from the soil by the potatoes; (4)
to show the contents of water, starch,
sugars, and protein at different stag
es of growth; (5) to collect data as
to the comparative yield of the va
rious varieties, in case the manufac-
ture of starch from potatoes should
assume any proportions.
Some interesting facts about the
sweet potato may be summerized as
follows: Experiments Show that the
hest distance to plant potatoes Is
about eighteen inches apart in rows
three or four feet apart, and have ap-
plication Of potash in the form OF
kainit or sulphate, moderate applica-
ton of nitrogen in the form of nj
trate Of soll or cotton seed meal
and a s.,,ll application of phcspue
ric acid.
Two good formulas given for
potato fertilizer are First, aOp
pounds kainit, 800 pounds cotton
seed meal. 200 pounds l6 per cent
acid phosphate; and second, 2o9
pounds sulphate of potash, 200
pounds nitrate of soda, 400 pounds
| l6 per cent acid The first would
cost about $3.50 per ton ond should
be applied at the rate of 500 to
200 pounds per acre, because OIL
| it's low percentage of fertlliZing ele-
ments: the second should cost about
s32 per ton, and should be applied
at the rate Of about 4 pounds per
acre, preferably at the time the slips
ars put out.
Under favorable conditions yield
|
be counted on from soil which ordl-
narily woulo produce 90 tushels OF
corn. These potatoes would contain
about 1000 pounds of starch besides
a good deal of sugars, which add TO
their value as stock feed The yield
of 200 bushels per acre would re-
move about $3.50 worth of phospho-
| ric acid, nitrogen and potash.
AS to varieties comparison OF
fourteen varieties with regard ITO
Weld in per cent starch and in
pounds per acre, shows that the per
cent ranges from 1875 in the yellow
Nancemond to 23.S9 in the Shanghor
yam; and that the yield per acre
ranges from. PIT pounds of starch
in the Arkansas beauty to 4,445
pounds of starch in the Southern
queen, with the Brazilian as close
second, yielding 4,14S pounds.
Feed stuff analyses show very hlgh
per cent of nitrogen free extract,
which we in the South are short on
They can be fed to advantage to all
kinds of stock from September l to
January / after which, if they can
be fed to stock profitably. Comparl-
son with other root crops show a
decided advantage in favor Of the
potato as a stock feed; and COM
parison of the vines with clover
peas, etc, show that the vines are
not so high in protein. but higher
!, in nitrogen free extract and other
extract The vines contain large
percentage of fertilizing clements
taken from the soil, but they can
be left on the land or feed to cattle
and the manure returned to add
numus, thus improving the land in
either case.