The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1919-05-30
GROWING SWEET P0TA.
TOES.
An Easily Grown, Profitable Crop For
" South Carolina.

crops so well adapted to South Caro-
lima conditions that can be grown
with equal success and profit as can
the sweet potato. This crop offers to
the grower every advantage that Is
offered by other fields or truck crops,
says Geo. P. Hoffman, Extension Ser
vice horticulturist
Soil selection, preparation, fertiliz-
ing, careful fitting and planting, and
cultivating are the essentials OF sue
cess in the growing Of crop OF
sweet potatoes. ! ,..i
Soil: The sweet potato adapts It.
self to a great diversity Of soils, but
it delights in and thrives best on
well drained sandy or clay loan ua-
derlaid with a clay subsoil. But re-
gardless of the apparent ideal physi-
cal condition of the soil, this crop
must be rotated each year. Sweet
potatoes may follow corn, cotton,
small grain, and leguminous cover
crops, and may be easily and effect
lively worked into any well balanced
three-year rotation system.
Preparation of Soil: The soil may
be thoroughly and deeply prepared by
turning twice to a depth Of to 8
inches, followed by cross discing.
Crooked and irregularly formed roots
result from shallow preparation OF the
soil. Therefore, deep and thorough
preparation is very essential in the
growing Of marketable potatoes.
Fertilizers: Both barnyard manure
and commercial fertilizers are recon-
mended, but the former must be judi
ciously used. Because Of present
shortage Of potash the element Of plant
food most needed in excess in potato
production, liberal applications Of
barnyard manure will be found to be
very effective in helping to reduce this
shortage and to correct the physical
condition of the soil. The fertility
| and physical condition of the soil
should determine the amount OF tina
applications. Ordinarily, both Gem
mercial fertilizers and bsrnyard ma.
nures are applied in the drill, when
the soil is being fitted for setting tho
plants, and, later, as a side dresser
Fitting the Soil and Setting the
Plants: Preparatory to setting the
plants lay OF rows 3s to feet apart
and apply the barnyard manure e to
10 tons per acre) or commercial fer
tilizer made Of two-thirds 1870 acid
phosphate apd one-third cotton-seed
meal applied in the drill at the rate
| Of 400 to 600 pounds per acre, and
thoroughly mix with the soil. The
planting beds Of medium height, de-
pending upon drainage, should be
thrown up and Dragged down. The
plants or vine-cuttings should be set
IA to 49, inches apart The period for
setting the plants is from May 1 to
July 18th. To correct the packed con.
dition of the son brought about
through the transplanting process,
the water burrows should be narrowed
or otherwise shallowj cultivated i'm
mediately following the setting OF the
plants. '1".-' ''''5'~.-5- r.. ! b. '>.'..'r- =
For late paintings, the ons-leaf vine
cuttings 8 to 10 inches long are more
desirable than are = the slips or
draws" this being especially true in
the growing Of seed stock = \
Varieties: Nancy Hail. Porto
Rico, and Triumph tare the leading and
most popular varieties groyn in this
State. Triumph is one Of the earliest
varieties, and SHOULD be' planted when
potatoes arc grown for early market.
Cultivation: Frequent and shal.
low cultivation should be practiced
until tho vines have covered the
ground, during which period the
greatest of care must be exercised In
the turning The, vines. At the hrst
cultivation, which consists Of . care
full hoeing and siding with q broad
furrow, q side dressing of mixture
OF one-third cottonseed meal and two
thirds 16 per cent acid phosphate
should be applied at the rate Of 400 to
600 pounds per acre.. and thoroughly
mixed with the soil. The Oranseburg
sweep or heel bow and shovel will be
found to be very effective in cultiyat-
ing this crop. 49,.
A Record Of Profits: The following
record Of expenditures and returns on
an acre of sweet potatoes in 1878
was furnished US by grower In Rich
land County, South Carolina, the crop
having been produced in 1917 and
marketed during the late winter and
early spring. H,f-..
Expenditures.
Rental value of land. .t.....$ 800
Turning and narrowing twice 400
Bedding ground ............ 1.5o
C6mpost-10 loads at $1.0o.. 1000
Spreading compost ......... 1.5O
Plants-1o,O0o at $780,. $500
Setting plants .......... 20
Hoeing three times ......... 800
Flowing and turning vines. 4.25
Cottonseed meal, X ton at $4s S4.oo
Applying cottonseed NEAL. 1.50