The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette., March 12, 1910, CORN SPECIAL, Page 193, Image 17

About The progressive farmer and southern farm gazette. (Starkville, Miss.) 1910-1920

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FRUIT, TRUCK, VEGETABLES.
HOW TO GROW SWEET POTATOES.
How to Make a Bed for Grow ing slip*—The Kind of Soil to
Select—Adapt Varieties to Market Demands.
Messrs. Editors: As soon In the
spring as danger of freezing Is over,
select a sunny spot in the garden,
having a southern exposure. Set up
a common 12-lnrh plank on the
edge, driving sticks into the ground
to hold it in place, then four feet
from it and parallel set up another,
thus forming a box four feet wide
and of such length as may be de
sired. Usually twelve square feet is
sufficient space for a bushel of pota
toes. Hare similar planks across the
ends of the box so as to make it com
plete. Spade the soil within the box
thoroughly. Upon this spread fresh
stable manure to the depth of three
or four inches, and pack (Irmly with
the feet. Then cover the manure
with good rich soil—woods dirt will
do—to a depth of one and one-half
Inches. This last should be free
from any clods and spread on uni
formly.
I'pen (bis soil place (be seed po
tatoes which should be smooth and
of medium and uniform site. In
placing the potatoes care should be
exercised to keep them from touch
ing each other, as they might rot if
loo closely crowded. Cover them
about two inches with rich, loamy
soil. Now use plenty of water to
wot the bed thoroughly, using about
three buckets of water to the bushel
of potatoes. This drenching compacts
the soil about the potatoes and wets
the manure, caualng it to generate
heat, both of which are very essen
tial.
The bed being above the surface
of the ground will dry out readily, so
thero will be no use of keeping the
potatoes covered except In case of ex
cessive rains. If a freeae or heavy
frost threatens, it would bo necessary
to cover the bed with straw, paper,
sacks, or similar materials. The bed
will need to be kopt moist, but not
wet.
In two weeks, or thereabout. If the
weather Is warm, ibo slips will be
gin to appear. As soon as they are
well started, place a lltllo rich soil
among them, and frequently water
of mornings. Soapsuds, not too
glrntttf flksMstit In ho himnlU'Ixll OCCil*
siunally. The plants will be rosily
for transplanting wbtn they get four
or Ave Inches high. !u drawing them
from the bed. if the potatoes want to
pull up, hold them down by placing
one hand tlrmiy over them.
The kind of soil that seems to be
s favorite of the sweet potato is the
sandy loam—oue that remalus mel
low and rolatna moisture. This crop,
however, will grow on moist soils,
but does not succeed as well in stiff
soils as in sandy. When grown on
clay or bottom lands, the flavor Is
poor and the keeping qualities are
bad. The thin, loamy soils usually
produce the best crops aud of the
finest flavor.
Home people advocate settiug their
potatoes on the level, but I have
never found this to be best, but In
stead. have a mellow bed, one in
which the soil is well pulverized and
comparatively free from grass aud
weed seeds. The potato requires
wurmth aud moisture. The ridge af
fords the warmth, and it should be
of a soil that has tho power to hold
moisture with little cultivation, as
the vines soou get long euough to
render cultivation diitlcult.
Sweet potatoes, like many other
crops, are often plunted closer than
is best, and for this reason they fail
to gain their normal size. I like to
have my rows about four feet wide,
and the planth from 20 to 2 4 inches
in tho drill. This width of row will
, also be found to be of convenience in
: digging the crop.
As to the variety to grow, I will
nay that the kind best adapted for a
given set of circumstances, and for a
particular purpose, should not be
overlooked. Some varieties, and
some of the best kinds, are not as
profitable as some others for gen
eral marketing purposes, and yet are
most desirable for family use when
the choice article comes as first con
sideration. if you are growing for a
certain market, study the demands of
that market, and plant the variety
thlch is in greatest demand.
A. M LATHAM.
Montague Co., Texas.
MUM TU HI ( vKKIl WITH WATER*
MELONS.
Tim© to i’larn, lt«it Methods of Fer
tilizing. and Some Useful Litera
ture.
1 want all the Information I
can obtain on watermelon cul
ture. 1 want your advice on
fertilizers. Which is tho best
commercial fertilizers to use on
meious in tho absence of barn
yard mauure? My land is a
sandy loam ridge.
J. C. MYERS.
Hrundon, Miss.
(Answer by H. C. Thompson, Mis
sissippi Agricultural College.)
The best soil for watermelons is a
rich sandy soil with a good supply of
humus. There is no fertilizer that is
ns good as bumyard manure for
melons, but if this is not available, I
would advise using a mixture of cot
tonseed meal and 16 per cent acid
phosphate iu equal parts, at the rate
of 600 to 1,400 pounds per acre ap
plied at planting time, either in the
row or hill. A better method of fer
tilizing melons at this time is to use
a compost of manure, cottonseed
meal and acid phosphate, about 600
pounds of each. This compost should
be made several weeks before ready
to plant.
For a very early crop of melons
the plants may be started In hot beds
by planting the seed in pieces of sod
or in plant boxes made for the pur
pose. Plants so grown, and set out
in the field as soon as the vines be
gin to run. will give ripe fruit a few
weeks in advance of the crop planted
direct in the field from seed. For
the general crop the seed Is planted
direct in the field as soon as danger
of frost is past, in hills 8x10 or 10x10
feet, or in rows 10 feet apart and the
plants thinned to about 3 feet apart
in the rows. Whichever method is
used it is best to plant many times
more seed than is expected to grow
to maturity for a good stand is very
important. As soon as the plants
come up they are usually attacked
by the cucumber beetle, which saps
the juice from the plants and event
ually kills them. These beetles can be
kept In check by sprinkling the plants
with air slaked lime or land plaster.
The best varieties for both com
mercial purposes and for home use,
are Florida Favorite, Kolb Gem,
Georgia Rattlesnake. Keep the soil
well cultivated by frequent shallow
cultivation.
GROW A FRUIT ORCHARD
AT A mm ALL OOmT.
a —all horns orchard or on a com
mercial Mala, our FREE CATALOGUE will
I aaaim you.
FRUIT TREES
ROSES and EVERGREEN8. All Southern
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THE JAMES A. BLANCHARD COMPANY.
64? Hudson Terminal Building,, N. Y. City
Factories—New York and St. Joseph, Mich.
Live Agents Wanted Everywhere.
SWEET POTATO PLANTS
Commencing in April I will have Sweet Potato
Plants of the following varieties for sale. Nancy
Hall and Triumph.
The Nancy Hall is an early prolific potato of
good quality, deep yellow in color. Will produce
potatoes ready for the table in 60 days.
The Triumph is as early as the Nancy Hall, but
more prolific, quality good, color cream. It is the
most prolific potato that 1 have ever grown.
Price $1.60 per thousand.
DABNEY PALMER, - CARSON. A1A.
Strawberry Plants
Millions ot them. I am headquarters tor
Klondyke, Lady Thompson. Aroma, Gandy,
Excelsior, $2.60 lor 1,000 plants. Dewberry,
Blackberry and Vegetable plants, $10.00 per
1,000. Free catalogue.
John Lightfoot,
R. F. D. 2, w Chattanooga, Team.
Canning Outfits for Family, Farm or Factory.
We make a splendid line of Canners, ranging in prices from $4.75 up. Easy to operate.
Each machine guaranteed to do perfect work. Don't buy until you get our now Cata
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J you can pay us out of the “extra profit” We pay freight. Wholesale dealers* prices.
Man-Power Potato and Orchard Hprajer.
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In A.I01 High pre»»ure from big wheel. Puvhe* ruty.
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Write today.
Flta.AU Barrel Sprayer.
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It don’t cost 1/ou “a cent’’ to try it in your
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u jskws §“«.n»i -*.« oiio" .mow.
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NAME.-.
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