62 TEANSACTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS 



The following notes of their methods of growing sweet potatoes 

 and celery were handed in by E. A. Riehl and F. W. Poscharsky. 



GEO WING AND KEEPING SWEET POTATOES. 

 BY E, A. BIEHL, ALTOX. 



The sweet potato is a tropical plant, which fact should be borne 

 in mind in its treatment. It will not grow and thrive unless the 

 weather is warm. A cold spell after it is planted out will so check 

 it that it will not produce near so good a crop as plants put out 

 later, and many plants will die entirely. It is therefore not best to 

 be in too great a hurry to bed the seed in the spring. I prefer the 

 second or third week in April, so as to have the plants ready to plant 

 out about the middle of May to middle of June, and often plant in 

 July with good results. The seed should be bedded in a hotbed, say 

 about April 15. The best bed is one made of horse manure, about 

 ten to twelve inches deep. When the manure is deeper the beds are 

 apt to become too hot and continue warm too long, forcing the 

 plants too rapidly, they thereby becoming drawn and soft, wilting 

 badly when planted out. For covering, I prefer muslin stretched 

 and tacked on frames about the size of a hotbed sash. 



The soil should be put in good condition by repeated plowings 

 and harrowing, and the ridges be freshly thrown up at the time of 

 planting. Planting is best done with a mason's trowel. The planter 

 straddles a row, takes his trowel in one hand and the plant in the 

 other, thrusts the trowel into the ground in a sloping position, opens 

 the hole by pulling and lifting the trowel a little, so as to open the 

 hole all the way down, thrusts the plant into the hole with the other 

 hand, removes the trowel and, with the hand that holds the trowel, 

 firms the plant, putting his weight well on in doing so. An active 

 man can in this manner plant as fast as another can drop the plants. 

 A dibble should never be used, because a careless hand is apt to close 

 the hole made on the top and leave the roots in a hollow cavity. I 

 had one lesson that way that cured me most effectually from plant- 

 ing with a dibble. 



If the plants are put out in warm weather, on ridges freshly 

 made, they will soon start to growing, and grow rapidly. As soon 

 after a rain as the weeds can be seen, the ground should be stirred 

 to destroy the weeds. For this purpose I have a harrow cultivator 

 that fits the ridges, and does excellent and rapid work, and usually 

 one working is sufficient. 



If the plants are put out too early they will grow slowly, and 

 it will be necessary to go over them oftener. The weeds should 

 never be allowed to get over an inch in height. 



I never pull up the vines to prevent rooting. I do not think 

 the rooting injurious, and the pulling up the vines a waste of time; 



