Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-06-26
The Sweet PotGtOe

TN HIS is one product that naturally
suits all conditions and does well
throughout the entire southern
states. Little do our people appreciate
the real value of this wonderful crop.
But, with the new and improved methods
of housing and caring for sweet ptota-
toes through the winter months it has
enabled US to know how easily this crop
can be cared for and kept until the mar
kets will pay the real value for them.
The growing of this crop has attract
ed a great deal of attention. Hundreds
of new markets have been found to buy
and use sweet potatoes that were not do
ing so five or ten years ago, and 1t has
made great demand for this product.
Sweet potatoes, like cotton, seem to be
suited to the care and management of
nearly every native southerner, and
heavy yields can be made on most any
land if properly worked and taken care
of. One of the greatest drawbacks that
has come to short yields in any section
has been caused from neglect or not
working the growing crop as 1t should
be, and allowing the vines TO take root
between the rows and at will. When
this is done the food in the vines that
should go to make tubes will revert to
rooted vines in the middle of the row
and will lose a crop of potatoes for you
when such conditions are allowed. Aft
er the vines have run across the rows
and are making their best growth they
should be carefully gone over occasion
ally. Run a stick under the vines and
lift any that should become rooted in
the middle of the row. From this one
cause many promising fields of potatoes
have been disappointing at harvest
time.
Sweet potatoes are easy to raise, are
very productive and profitable, and cas-
lily kept either in cheaply constructed
regular potato houses, or In hills pro-
tected by shelter, and is a food that
can be used in some form three times
a day during the entire year. The de-
mand for sweet potatoes now is one
hundred times greater than 1t was ten
years ago, and is something that every
person should plant this year. They
can be planted late, even up until the
latter part of July, and by working fast,
and fertilizing heavily will make good
potatoes. There is nothing person can
grow with more real value than sweet
potato crop throughout all the southern
states.
The agriculture department of the
Southern road. Atlanta. also the College
of Agriculture at Athens, Ga, will sup
ply you bulletins showing how this crop
can be housed cheaply and protected
throughout the entire winter. Therefore,
taking no chance on saving and market
ing it after it is made.
There are many different varieties of
sweet potatoes. Some of them are bet
ter keepers than others. Some are far
superior in eating qualities to others,
There is also a difference in the yield
per acre of the many different varieties.
under the same conditions. But, after
all, most any variety of sweet potatoes
is we'll suited and naturally adapted to
our conditions and will be found proht-
able at all times. There, is probably
nothing that will produce more album
dant yield per acre as hog feed, than GER
tain varieties of sweet potatoes, ana
there is nothing that will give the meat
so nice flavor if fed short time be-
fore killing. If for no other reason than
to have a variety of feed for your hogs
in the fall a person should plant some
potatoes for this purpose alone, or allow
the hogs the run of the potato helds
after the bulk of the crop Is harvested.
This season potato slips have been I'M
usually high and scarce and many peo-
pie would have planted potatoes If they
had been able to get potato plants that
have not done so. In this connection
vines cut and planted most any time In
July on well-prepared soil Will make a
heavy Weld of potatoes, and there Is no
excuse why anyone should not grow an
many sweet potatoes as they wish this
season, as they can usually secure all
the vines they wish. and really the pota-
toes that vines have been cut from are
better off from the cutting of the vines
early in the season than if ii were not
done. This crop means many dollars In
value to the south, and 1 am glad to see
IT being appreciated as 1t should be.
Yours very truly,
Cp CA