The Newark journal., 1917-08-09
HOW TO BED
SWEET POTATOES
With New Soil and Tubers Free
From Disease All Trouble Can
Be Avoided.
BY w. n. Wicks,
4ortieulturist University of Arkansas.

The common method OF propagating
the sweet potato is by means OF
sprouts" or slips" which are OBJ
tanned by placing the seed potato IN
der the proper growing conditions OF
heat and moisture. It is essential that
all tubers used for propagating ma
terial come from clean fields. Diseases
are readily transferred by using
sprouts or tubers from old beds which
are diseased By using new soil in
the propagating beds and tubers free
from disease, most of the trouble from
serious plant diseases may be avoided.
Keep Propagating Beds Free From
Infection.
The sprouts soon start from the tu-
bers, but are quite sensitive to cold
and if plants are wanted early in the
spring. some form of artificial heat is
necessary. The most common meth
cd of producing artificial heat is by
means of stable manure. Never use
stable manure or soil from feeding
lots where diseased vines or tubers
have been fed. This is one Of the
most common ways of bringing infec-
ton into the propagating beds when
stable manure Is used for furnishing
artificial heat Fresh horse manure
containing approximately one-third
litter should be obtained from livery
barns where only clean hay is used
and the manure can be secured in
large quantities. A fire hot-bed may be
used in case manure cannot be Sc
cured, but this type of hot-bed requires
closer attention and it is much more
difficult to bring out good crop OF
sprouts.
Location and Construction Of Prop
agation Beds important.
When making a propagation pit or
hot-bed, select a well drained place,
having a south slope and protected on
the north side by a fence, trees or
buildings. Build plank frame four
feed wide and as long as desirable to
get the required amount Of space,
making the north side a few inches
higher than the south side. Place SUI
ficient earth against the outside walls
10 DtONlQE iii diiidSt " ht1P Tie Ae1t1i
from collecting near the frame. Inside
the frame excavate to depth of about
| eight or 10 inches. Place first a thin
layer of light material, such as straw
leaves or pine needles. On this place
a layer of six to 10 inches of fresh
horse manure, the amount depending
upon the climate, season, and amount
of forcing desired. Moisten thorough
Iy, level and pack firmly Then place
layer OF sand or light soil from three
| to four inches deep. The temperature
may run rather high for few days
! The roots may be planted Immediately
| if so desired
Use Care in Bedding.
In bedding place them so that they
| do not touch each other so that the
tops OF the potatoes are from two to
| three inches under the surface Have
the top OF the bed come above the
level OF the soil on the outside of the
frame. The bed should be kept moist
| but not wet The temperature may be
| allowed to run up TO eighty-five or
| ninety degrees F. for few days, but
| 1t should be kept at eighty to eighty
| five degrees r. as near as possible
| By planting time, which should be
| from five to six weeks after bedding
| the temperature should stand at about
sixty degrees F. In the warmer parts
| of the state it may not be necessary
| to provide any covering on the frames,
| but where a greater degree of forcing
| is required some cover such as glass,
| boards, muslin, leaves or straw, will be
| desirable. If the climate is mild, a
| tory 1t is easy to handle in ventilat.
ing and for hardening off" the plants
| just before placing in the field.
Vine Cutting For Late Potatoes.
Propagation by vine cutting may be
| practiced when late crop of pota
toes is wanted. The vine cutting is
piece about eight TO 10 inches long
from the end of the potato vine The
| leaves, except at the tip, are stripped
| off and all but the growing end GOV.
| cred with soil. Some of the growers
| prefer to plant a portion of their crop
| by means of slips and then secure
| plants for the rest of their acreage by
means of vine cuttings The vine cut.
tings have the advantage of being
| free from disease and are cheaper
than slips. Some claim that the vine
cuttings give the highest yield.
Number of Slips From Bushel OF
| Seed Variable.
The number of sweet potato slips
or draws" to be obtained from a
| bushel of seed depends upon the size
of the roots. the variety used and the
number of drawings" A small pota.
TO will make as many slips as a large
one and requires less room in the bed
A bushel of small potatoes will bed
from fifteen to twenty square feet. 1t
will require from three TO six bushels
per acre according to the variety when
all slips are set and beds are properly
managed after each drawing Accord.
ing TO variety, one bushel of seed will
produce two thousand to five thousand