The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1912-02-22
SWEET POTATO RAISING
4 FAIR YIELD MAY BE EXPECTED
ON ANY FARM LAND.
BY Dr.. J. c. Written, Professor Of
Horticulture, University
Of Missouri.

While the sweet potato reaches its
best yields toward the South, still ii
may be expected TO give profitable
crops In Missouri. A fair yield may
be expected on almost any farm land.
Some of our richer bottom lands are
not so well suited to its profitable de-
yelopment as are the uplands OF mod.
crate fertility.
The plants make excessive vine
growth, and the potatoes are less de-
sirable in quality on the richest heav-
lest soils. loose light soil tending
toward sandiness is preferable. AT
least fair yield may be had, how
ever, on almost any well drained land
that will grow an ordinary corn crop.
Among the varieties most usually
planted are the Nansemond, Jersey,
Cuban Queen, and Nineless.
Sweet potatoes are propagated by
means of sprouts or draws produced
in hotbeds from sweet potato tubers.
The hotbed should be made III early
spring, and the sweet potatoes i'm.
bedded lying close together in a lay
er. and covered with two or three
inches OF soil AS soon as the sprouts
are well up, they may be broken of
close to the sweet potato, each con
tanning few roots near the base, and
planted out II desirable, these draws
may be made into cuttings. and u
larger number of plants thus secured.
The cuttings are made long enough to
contain three buds: one bud should
be at the base OF each cutting, and
two above. These cuttings may be
rooted by inserting them an inch
apart in rows s or 6 inches apart
They may be set in sand, In the out
side soil, or in the hotbed. Cuttings
should be set deep enough so that
the upper bud will be above the soil
Roots will quickly be produced below,
especially in the vicinity of the buds
below ground,
The ground should be plowed to n
good depth and thoroughly pulverized
By narrowing and dragging The aim
should be to give level culture.
II possible the time for setting out
the plants should be when tn" soil IL
fairly moist, but not wet enough to be
sticky. Plants should be set two feet
apart In rows four feet apart. Many
growers set by turning the furrow
with the turning pillow; dropping the
plants in the furrow and covering
with the loose soil which was turned
ont Other growers simply mark the
rows with marker and set the plants
with a spade The spade may be IN
serted in the soil and pushed for
ward. leaving the space for the plant
and its roots behind the spade. The
second person inserts the plants be
hind the spade to good depth. ana
when the spade is withdrawn, the
soil Is pressed firmly back against the
plant with the foot.
Frequent and thorough cultivation
should be given. On very wet land,
It may be desirable to grow the plants
in ridges. Level cultivation, however
is preferable on most soils. Cultiva'
ton may continue until the vines
cover the ground. In the later cult
yations. growing vines will be dragged
,erethwisr Of the rows A little later
they will branch laterally and VIII
cover all the space between the rows
and keep down weeds.
The question is frequently asked
whether It Is best TO pinch on the
ends of the vines to induce tubcr for.
nation with the same question In
mind, some growers advise coiling the
vines around the hills so they will
make length growth less rapidly.
These methods OF checking length
growth probably do not pay under
average conditions II is usually best
10 allow the plants to make their own
natural growth.
The potatoes should be dug just be
fore frost. II frost accidentally
catches the vines. digging should be
done as soon as possible.
Sweet potatoes are among the most
difficult OF root crops to store sue.
ccssfuly The most important fac.
tors to secure storage are to never
bruisc the sweet potatoes; to keep
them dry; TO prevent extremes OF
heat or cold Since bruises induce
rot, the sweet potato should be han
died with great care in harvesting.
They should be allowed to dry thor.
oughly after digging For that rca-
son. 1t Is well to dig in the forenoon
of a sunny day and pick them up in
the afternoon after their surfaces
have dried If the weather Is very
wet 20 II Is difficult to dry in the
field, it becomes desirable, II possible.
TO spread them out under shelter be
fore storing
Sweet potatoes may be stored by
hitting them in the field, or IN spc.
cially constructed potato houses or
storage rooms. Storage houses or
storage cellars should be well ven
tilated. Sweet potatoes should be put
in bushel crates and stored in ricks
with inch spaces between the crates
TO keep the potatoesh ventilated and
dried ont. One inch strips OF board
| may be placed on each tier OF crates
to give ventilating space between the
- 81. 4 Il