The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1921-09-09
Heavy Sweet Potato Crop

ing bureau. 1t is generally. estimated
that the crop of the state and of
the South will be the largest in his
tory For the last four or five years
the United States department of agri-
culture has been actively urging that
growers build storage houses. This
will obviate the need of rushing the
crop to market and sales can be made
strated in many cases that sweet po-
tatoes can be marketed successfully
from storage, and the large crop now
promised shows the need CT conserv-
ing the crop, which means profit to
growers. Farmers Bulletin No go,
issued by the United States depart
ment of agriculture, Washington, D..
c., describes in detail how to con-
struct houses OF various materials,
and also to utilize old buildings. These
plans without. cost can be had from
the department at Washington and
at Gainesville.
The experts of the United States
department of agriculture say that
in some cases southern growers do
not get what they should for their
crop because of improper methods
of handling and marketing In many
cases the. potatoes are bruised and
cut in digging, then are put in bags
or rough barrels without grading, and
rushed to the market when there is an
over supply. The secret of success in
getting good prices are to grade, clean,
and pack the product carefully and to
put it upon the market when there is
a demand. The greatest call for
sweet potatoes is, as a rule, from De-
cember to March. The market wants
a medium sized, uniform type of sweet
potato, free from bruises or decayed
spots. In grading, all understood and
the overgrown, crooked broken or
the bruised ones should be kept at
home. Culls and primes should not
be marketed together. A neat pack
age of well graded potatoes, as we'll
as other products, will sell when the
market is over stocked with inferior
stuff.
$50
Fall Crops Should Not Be Neglected
Mr. F. ]. Jeter of Atlanta says that
fall sown grains and winter legumes
will help to accumulate the nitrogen
so badly needed in Southern agricul-
ture, will help to prevent washing
and erosion, and will add the much
needed humus to the soils, besides
furnishing winter pasturage and sum-
mer feedstuffs for the live stock, says
Director j. N. Harper, of the Southern
Soil Improvement committee. Not only
this but these crops will help in that
rotation of crops now being sought
for by many farmers.
Mr. Harper states that, as a rule
Southern farmers have not given
much attention to planting these fall
sown crops and that their Importance
in agriculture has been largely over
looked. Where such summer crops
as cotton and corn have been planted.
these winter crops may follow with
out the use of much fertilizer. Then
such plant food as remains in the soil
can be accumulated in the plant tissue
Of the winter growing crop and not
be lost as where the land is allowed
to lie idle during the winter months
and the valuable plant food is washed
away or lost by teaching.
He believes also that better Yields
will be secured where some of these
crops are plowed under in the spring
and the land planted to the summer
growing crop. Fall sown crop gen.
orally do better, however, when the
land has been well prepared. ferti-
liked literally and good seed of known
quality is used.
In case of the grains, Mr.. Harper
oasOSsttCo SAC use III lIIG STdl1 UfllI
which puts out the fertilizer and seed
at one operation Seed sown in the
drill in this manner will give bigger
returns than when sown by the old
method of broadcasting and blowing
or narrowing under. Clovers need
lime and fertilizer TO give best returns.
Grain needs liberal quantities of fer
tilizeF at planting so as to give bigger
Yields, heavier, plumper kernals,
stronger straw, and to make desirable
growth before extremely cold weather
The North Carolina experiment sta
ton recommends about 500 pounds
per acre of good fertilizer at plant
ing time. Such treatment also pre-.
vents winter killing.
The Good Roads Association of
Miabica1a will ho1a !,