The Springdale news., 1918-05-17
SWEET POTATOES
 ARE IN DEMAND
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS BROUGHT INTO SOUTH EVERY YEAR
 FROM THEIR SALE.
By J. s. Knox, Extension Division,

By J. s. Knox, Extension Division,
 University of Arkansas
 Millions of dollars are brought into the sweet potato. The United States Army has recently added this vegeta- ble to its ration and this means that the crop will be in demand more than ever before The South is a sweet DO tato section and none of the states are better suited to the growing of sweet potatoes than is our own state. We must nave an abundance of this vege- table next fall.
 Sweet Potato Pays Well.
 The sweet potato will produce. or i very common soil, from 100 to 125 bushels per acre and at present prices of s2 per bushel there are few, If any, of our crops that will equal 1t. However, while the sweet potato grows and produces fairly we'll on a great variety of soils, it seems al it's best on the well-drained sandy lodm soils of medium fertility. Sweet po- tatoes intended for storage should not be planted on poorly drained soil. because they are much harder to keep over winter than are those that have been produced on the better drained soils. Clay soils produce good potatoes, but at digging time the soil adheres to the potatoes and is the cause of great deal of bruises and unnecessary labor in removing dirt from the tubers. Ii is not advis. able 10 grow potatoes on the same soil two years in succession. and if a stubble of COW peas or clover or a GOV CT crop of rye or oats can be turned under, so much the better.
 1t Pays To Use Fertilizer.
 As 2 rule our farmers use too little fertilizer on the sweet potato soil. From i0e to 300 pounds per acre of a fertilizer made by mixing equal parts by weight of cotton seed meal and acid phosphate should increase the yield of the potatoes from 20 to 25 per cent If supply Of hard wood ashes can be had. it would also be we'll % apply few loads of this to each acre the ashes contain lime and potash and the latter is considered one of the chief essentials for this crop. Or der your seed potatoes right away or place your order with some one wha will grow the plants for you, because the indications are that seed sweet potatoes are going 10 be scarce again this year In sections of Louisiana and Texas the sweet potato weevils almost destroyed the crop last year and at the present time they are threatening 2 Arkansas. Sweet potato growers from the weeyil infested states are now searching for suitable seed for bed ding this spring and they have al ready purchased great many from our storage men Re sure to cull out all potatoes showing black rot befC re bedding them.
 Bed Sweet Potatoes Properly.
 To bed the potatoes select some veildrained sunny location and dig a pit about eight 10 ten inches deep. Pu, about six inches of good. rich, vel pulverized soil in the bottom of this then place the potatoes on this just close enough so that they do not touer about Is inch space is enough. AT ter th, potatoes are thus placed cover over with about one inch of sand ol soil that will not pack readily ant Ieep moist. Where bottom heat IS de sired il is necessary to dig the pii about six inches deeper than men toned above and put a six inch layel of horse manure in the bottom of tht bed Always water the bed thorough ly before removing the plants
 Use Labor Saving Machinery.
 The scarcity and high price of Ia bor at the present time makes i; nee essary 10 use labor saving machinery wherever possible The man who i'll tends to plant ten or twenty acre, will in the long mn find it profitabl, 10 buy sweet potato planter These can be purchased at prices ranging from $50 to S7o. and with it one car plant three or four acres with a force that would not ordinarily plant more than one acre the old way Max. rows about 2 12 to feet apart anc set the plants about IS to IS inche: in the TOW. It is claimed by som. that closer planting will lessen tn size Of the potatoes, so if your cro1 has been over size try closer planting and vice versa. Do not try to ge the plants on high ridges Ordinaril, from 3 to inches fig high enough ant the plants are cultivated more easily Cultivation Should Begin Early. As soon as the plants have become | established the cultivation should he gin. Avoid the use of blows whici run too deep near the roots of tn. plants. Upon examining the roots O plants where one man had been culti vating with a heel sweep it was found that several roots that would hay, made potatoes Had been cut off Us, the harrow freely and as often as |! necessary 10 keep the top soil loos, and free from weeds.
 Write Experiment Station Fayette