Tabor City tribune. (Tabor City, N.C.) 1946-1991, 1951-03-21
Your County
Agent Says
BY CHARLES RAPER

i BY CHARLES RAPER
I am sure you will be interest
ed to know that there is expect
ed to be a greater demand for
sweet potatoes this year than
last. The acreage is expected to
lower, especially in the South, al
though the U. S. Dept. of Argl-
culture has recommended the
same acreage as planted last
year. With increased demand and
decreased acreage, sweet pota'
. toes are expected to be very pro-
fitable crop in 1851.
It is an important as ever that
you strive to produce the highest
quality product possible. To that
end, the following recommenda'
tions are made:
SEED sELECTION-Bedding
time is almost here. Use only
good quality seed, preferably
blue-tag certified, of the copper
skinned Porto Rico variety. Sc
lect your seed for proper size,
skin and flesh color, shape, and
freedom from diseases at bed
ding time. Take enough time
(onlv few extra hours) to look
at each potato separately to
make sure it has the require
ments that it takes to produce a
crop of quality sweet potatoes.
Discard all mutations. You can
maintain or improve the flesh
color of your potatoes by mick
ing" (Cut a smooth, shallow
chip out of the side of each root
about an inch from the stem-end.
The sprouts will be on this end.
Save only those having a salmon
pink or orange color.) If you are
a larbe grower and this is too
big a job, practice this on 5 or ~
bushels for foundation stock.
From these few bushels you can
grow all your seed for another
year. It is recommended that this
seed patch be planted in a differ
ent field so as to prevent their
getting mixed up with others at
harvest time.
Be sure to remove all roots
showing any symptoms of dis
eases before treating the seed.
This includes scurf sometimes
called soilstain or "black" pota-
toes). Although scurf is only
skin deep, treating the seed will
not kill the disease in the spots
on the roots.
PROPER SIZE FOR BED.
DING-No. 1 and jumbo size
sweet potatoes will give you q
larger percentage Of large
strong, vigorous plants than
small potatoes. Don't bed strings.
If YOU use roots as small as IL
inches in diameter, fertilize the
bed and give the roots wider
spacing in the bed.
SEED TREATMENT - Treat
YOUR seed to kill any disease or
ganisms that might be on the
surface of the potatoes but
haven't as yet caused any rotten
spots. Use Semesan Bel accord
ing to directions on the package
Dip the potatoes for 1 minute. If
left longer, sprouting will be de-
layed somewhat. Semesan Bell g
available at your potato market
or from your potato dealer.
Every farm needs a spring
cleanup, not only to improve ap-
pearances but also to remove
hazards which may cause costly
cuts, falls, or other injuries at
anv time throughout the year.
Disorder is responsible TOR
hospitalizing one out OF every
five accident victims, according
to a study conducted by the Ma
tional Safety Council. The larg-
est single cause of injuries, other
than the personal factor of poor
Judgment, is disorder. For this
,.ooeon the county agent says
erything in it's place IS d Suou'
safety slogan.
In cleaning up the home, re
move accumulated papers and
rubbish from all parts of tho
house. See that medicines. drugs
and insecticides are clearly label
ed and kept out of children's
reach. Provide suitable recepta
cles for knives and other SHARP
kitchen tools.
Check through the farm shop.
Make sure that tools are in good
repair and in their right places
Remove accommodations Of barbed
wire, glass, scrap metals. and de
briS, and trash.-Guch as papers.
|