The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1912-03-29
How TO GROW
SWEET POTATOES
| IN MAURY COUNTY
A GOOD SHANK TO THE PLANT
A PRIME ESSENTIAL TO
BEGIN WITH.
ANY SOIL SUITABLE FOR CROP
Properly Prepared Ground and Assid-
uous Cultivation With Favorable
Seasons Sure to Bring Satisfactory
ResuIts-HoW to Plant.
ANY SOIL SUITABLE FOR CROP
(By John j. Wilson, General Manager
Columbia Canning Coz

SOiuuUid SdAuiuS OO.)
Since making the assertion thai
1000 bushels Of potatoes can BIZ
grown on one acre of Maury county
land, quite number of people have
asked. how it could be done / do moi
know it all, and many of the Older
growers may criticise my assertions
I have grown fifty to sixty acres
each season for the past five years
and have studied them pretty closely
and naturally have learned a few
things. l have never grown Loco
bushels, but l have reached pretty
close to 700 bushels.
Many people speak of suitable
land, as though there were only a
few spots that would do, but | find
that any of our soil will do except
the bottom or sediment lands. In
this character of soil they produce
satisfa ctorily only in very dry sea.
sons. Have had no experience on
the gravel hills or flint rock lands,
but understand they will do well
there. A handsome yield can be had
from any well drained soil, clay or
sandy. the mellower and richer the
better; If you will work them they
will make potatoes. All potatoes
grown il this section are called
Queens, except few old time Vans,
and a few pet varieties that only a
few persons have. The Queen has
white skin and is as smooth as tur-
nip, the flesh being white with no
shade of yellow to it. In cooking 1t
turns dark, if steamed or boiled.
The Southern Prolific is very much
like it. With us it did not prove a
very good yielder; neither was the
quality very good, but it had fair
as winter keeper.
But there are the Key West Vans,
Bermudas, Straussburgs, Southern
Prolltics, Dooleys, Florida Vans, Jer-
sey Sweets, and others. All are good;
some are better. Some taste better,
and others keep better. We have
been growing Straussburgs, Prolifics
aid Key West Vans, and we have
found the two first best for all kinds
CT land and seasons. But for rich
ground and good seasons the Key
West Vans are heavy yielders and
CT fair quality, but not good winter
keeper
Practically all know how to bed po-
tatoes; but to get them early, cover
shallow at first to hasten their prog
ress, and as the slips appear add
enough soil to make shanks three or
four inches long on the plants. Have
your land well broken and in good,
well pulverized condition. Lay off
the rows three feet apart with a bull
tongue pillow. Make a bed or ridge
on this furrow, and it is best to let
it stand and settle for few days and
have light rain on it. And when
dry enough to work well, never wet,
knock the top of the ridge until 1t
is only six or seven inches high. This
freshens up the ground and II it has
rained kills crop Of weeds and
grass II 1t has become packed and
run together rebed it--don't set out
UD hard ground. Set the plants
twelve or fifteen inches apart In the
row, and I find they do best where
they are pushed into the ground the
length of the fingers with a finger
on each side Of the root, fill the open
lngs with loose dirt and move on.
Sticks are good, but the fingers are
better where 1t is possible to use
them. They must be kept free from
weeds and grass and this calls for
loeing and other forms of cultiva-
lion. think the old way of barring
of does more good than many real
re.
The roots that make the best tn.
oers are the ones that grow straight
Town or nearly So The roots that
run out to the sides make long