1889 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



278 



over the fall to my full satisfaction, not a 

 speck of a rainbow could I ?ee. Perhaps it 

 was not the right time of day. 



Before ten o'clock I was down in the 

 town again. As I passed a livery stable I 

 asked them how low they could give me a 

 horse and buggy to drive over to the Gar- 

 den of the Gods. Their very best figures 

 were $3.00. When I expostulated a little 

 in regard to $3.00 for two hours' time, 

 they kindly consented to let me stay till 

 half-past twelve. That was the greatest 

 concession I could get. I remembered the 

 time when I saved a dollar an hour in walk- 

 ing home, when the train left me ; and just 

 now it occurred to me that I could make 

 more than a dollar an hour, and I did not 

 feel tired one bit. I started off on foot, and 

 alone— no, not alone, for with every step I 

 took in that strange weird place, I felt God's 

 •presence, his peace, and his love in my heart, 

 and I was exceedingly happy. 



SPECIAL DEPARTMENT FOR A. I. ROOT, AND HIS 

 FRIENDS WHO LOVE TO RAISE CROPS. 



ALL ABOUT RAISING SWEET-POTATO PLANTS; ALSO 

 VERY COMPLETE DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING 

 HOT-BEDS FOR STARTING VEGETABLE- 

 PLANTS OF ANY KIND. 



IN answer to my inquiry, a short time 

 M ago, for a paper on raising sweet-potato 

 W plants, 32 very good papers were sent 

 A in. These were carefully read over, 

 and portions of a good many were used, 

 besides using some of the communications 

 entire, as you will observe. I aimed to give 

 all the valuable points communicated, and 

 at the same time avoid as much as possible 

 all repetition. As these papers come all the 

 way from as far south as Mississippi, and 

 clear up to Michigan in the North, it is 

 quite interesting to notice the varied meth- 

 ods adopted in consequence of the difference 

 in climate. We start out with a paper from 

 a friend in Michigan. 



HOW TO GROW SWEET-POTATO PLANTS IN 

 MICHIGAN. 



Friend Boot:— I have been growing- sweet-potato 

 plants more or less all my life, and here, for 24 

 years past, frequently 100,000 plants in a year. I 

 used to live in Southern Illinois, where we grew 

 plants readily without glass, using boards or any 

 kind of covering at night and in stormy days, and 

 leaving the beds open in day time when the weath- 

 er was fair. Of course, the time for bedding the 

 potatoes will need to be varied so as to suit each 

 man's locality. 



Good seed potatoes are of the first importance; 

 and if not already on hand they should be ordered 

 of a reliable party, as near by as possible, so that 

 they need not be long in transit. Most reliable seeds- 

 men will furnish such potatoes as are best suit- 

 ed for bedding-out purposes; but on no condition 

 buy potatoes that have been exposed for sale in 

 the city markets, as they are liable to have been so 

 chilled as to cause them to rot, as they will not 

 safely bear a lower temperature than 38". 



I usually bed sweet potatoes about April 15th to 

 20th, and order potatoes shipped a few days earlier, 

 so as to have them ready at the desired time. If 

 the weather is not favorable delay it a few days, as 



exposure to cold in shipping is risky. Use fresh 

 horse manure for making the bed; that is, such as 

 has not already been heated and the heat expended. 

 It should be prepared a week or ten days before the 

 bed is wanted, by piling it up and moistening it, if 

 not already moist, so that the heat will become 

 thorough and uniform throughout the pile by the 

 desired time. 



If the ground is porous, so that it will not hold 

 water, a pit may be dug, 18 in. or 2 ft. deep, into 

 which the manure should be evenly spread and 

 carefully packed down, so that it will not settle out 

 of shape, and so that the heat will be uniform as 

 possible. A frame of the desired size made of any 

 cheap lumber that will not warp badly, should be 

 set over the pit or bed of manure. This frame 

 should be about 9 inches deep in front, and 15 on 

 the back (the end pieces being sloped to match), 

 so that the sash will have pitch enough to shed wa- 

 ter. In this frame till three or four inches of good 

 fine soil, evenly spread directly on the manure; 

 then place the sash on the frame, and, after the 

 heat has become uniform, and is found to be all 

 right—usually in two or three days— the potatoes 

 should be placed evenly over the surface of the bed 

 —not quite touching each other, and covered with 

 two or three inches more of good fine soil that will 

 not bake— a sandy soil is preferred; then replace 

 the sash and keep a close watch that it does not be- 

 come hot enough to burn the potatoes. I have 

 never used a thermometer, but 1 judge of the tem- 

 perature by thrusting my fingers down^through the 

 soil in various places. Sweet potatoes require a 

 strong bottom heat at the start as they are liable to 

 rot. Just so it is safely below the burning-point is 

 all right. 



I use sash 3x6 ft., and four of these sash will cov- 

 er a bed 6x12 ft., which will usually afford accom- 

 modation for one barrel of potatoes, if they are of 

 about an average size. If small, more room will 

 be required. I seldom split potatoes, as they are 

 more liable to rot; but if large, so as to require 

 splitting, the round side should be placed down. 

 One bushel of good seed sweet potatoes should give 

 5000 good plants, if every thing goes well, and the 

 plants are removed as fast as ready; sometimes 

 more than that number, but oftener less. 



After the potatoes are placed in the bed, and the 

 sash are on, constant care must be exercised to see 

 that every thing goes right. The bed will require 

 airing more or less every day from 8 or 9 A. m.. to 4 

 or 5 p.m., especially if the sun shines; but they 

 should be closed during the night; and if it is cold 

 enough to freeze, the sash should be covered with 

 mats, old carpet, or any thing that will protect 

 from the cold during cold nights or stormy days. 

 As the season advances, and the weather becomes 

 warmer, the sash should be removed entirely dur- 

 ing the warm part of the day. If this is neglected, 

 the plants will become "drawn"— that is, tender 

 and worthless for planting. About a week after the 

 potatoes have been planted they will begin to 

 throw out roots and show signs of growth, at 

 which time the bed should be well sprinkled with 

 water, and this repeated as often as necessary to 

 keep the ground in good moist condition. As the 

 bed tills up with plants, a large amount of water 

 will be required, usually a pailful under each sash 

 every evening, if the weather is sunny and warm. 

 Good plants will usually be ready in three or four 

 weeks from the time of bedding the potatoes. 



