Le MeschaceÌbeÌ. [volume] ([Lucy] La.) 1853-1942, 1911-05-27
Sweet Potatoes.
By Col. r. j. REDDING i.

Let's begin at the beginning, to-wlt,
the bedding of the root tubers for pro-
ducing draws for planting, the season
for which is now well nigh past.
For all practical purposes the small
roots are best for bedding. prefer those
produced from cut vines the preceding
season. Select a well drained place, fully
exposed to the sun and having a rich,
clean soil never using the same spot
two years in succession. Lay off a
bed four feet wide and as long as
may be necessary. Set up bord-
er plank, or curb, along the edges
to stand four inches high. Spade
up the ground and make it mellow and
smooth. Some use stable manure, but tits
not at all necessary and may introduce
the germs of disease. Lay the potatoes
down and press them into the soil close
together but not touching, cover with a
mellow, mouldy soil, free as may be from
grass and weed seeds. | find clean sand
a good material for the last half inch or
so. The covering should be about two
inches thick. The bedding should
be done about the time early field
corn is usually planted, SO as to
have draws ready for transplanting
in about five or six weeks, or about
ten days later than the usual time for
planting cotton. Very often potato draws
(sips) are put out in the open ground as
early as the middle of April, but it is
rather early. Potato draws cannot stand
cold weather, and few cool mornings
will often give them set back from
which it may require week or two to
rally. 1 have known have done it myself)
experien ced potato growers to give away
the first draws that came to a neighbor
and wait for the next drawing for his own
use. From May to July 1. that is through
out May AID June, is the accepted
time for setting out later draws al
though early maturing varieties may
be put out with success IN July and un-
til August. Water the bed after raking
smooth and give good spriuking once
week unless rain a plenty.
Sweet potatoes will make well enough
on almost any character of upland soil.
excepting stiffened clay provided it
be fertile of itself or well man ured.
Deep plowing is not necessary. about
five or six inches being sufficient: but the
soil should be well pulverized to that
depth.
l prefer to plant on good list made
by throwing two turn pillow burrows to-
gether. covering the bedding furrow.
This list should be ''scalped7 off with a
hand hoe. or. better, with atwo row drag,
or, board. drawn by mule. If it be a wet
year, the potatoes will do better planted
on pretty good beds; but if it shall prove
a dry Summer, flat planting, or in very
low beds, will give better results. The
old fashioned way of drawing up high
ridges with hand hoes is very good
plan to consume, or utilize. surplus labor,
but it is totally unscientific and un-
economical.
1t does not pay to lift the vines to
prevent their roofing between the rows.
1t has been proven to injure rather than
benefit.
There are some non essential details
relating to the mere manual operations,
such as setting plants, watering, turn.
ing the vines, etc.
One gill of water is enough to use for
one plant when setting out in dfy wealth
er. The ground. if possible, should be
fresh plowed Just before setting plants.
Don't plant when the ground is too wet
to pillow.
Sweet potatoes, as rule, should not
be planted on the same ground oftener
than once in two or three years, es-
pecially if there is any rotting the pre-
vious year. On general principles. it is
best to rotate.
The locations of the hills for Winter
keeping should also be different every
year. Ii a potato house is used, it should
be thoroughly cleaned out and sterilzed
before using again.