26 



THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



Keeping Sweet Potatoes in Winter. W. F. 



Massey, of the North Carolina experiment station, 

 thus describes how to keep sweet potatoes in perfect 

 order until June: Procure a good supply of pine 

 straw from the woods in a dry time, and keep it under 

 cover ready for use. Dig the potatoes as soon as 

 frost cuts the vines. If not convenient to dig at once, 

 cut the frosted viues off at once, or they will harbor 

 fungus growth that will damage the potatoes. Dig 

 on a warm, sunny day lay the potatoes along the 

 rows as dug, and do not allow them to be bruised by 

 throwing into piles. Handle at all times as gentle as 

 eggs. Allow them to lie in the sun during the day, 

 and in the evening haul to a convenient place. Place 

 a good layer, a foot thick, of pine or other straw on 

 the ground, and on this pile the potatoes in steep 

 heaps, not over twenty-five bushels in a pile. Cover 

 tie piles thickly all over with the dry pine straw. 

 Now build a rough board shed over the piles, and let 

 them remain until the weather grows colder, or until 

 they have gone through a sweat and dried off. Then 

 cover the heaps with earth six or eight inches thick 

 and beat smooth. The important points are the 

 sweating under the previous cover of the pine straw 

 before covering with earth, very careful handling, and 

 the board cover overhead. Dry earth keeps out more 

 cold than wet earth. If for family use, put in smaller 

 piles and take up an entire heap at once for use, keep- 

 ing them in a dry, warm place while using. 



An Ornamental Fruit. Tree Tomato of Ja- 

 maica: Solatium betaceum. Professor Wickson of 

 the California experiment station describes this spe- 

 cies as a native of Central America, grown also in 

 semi-tropical South America and in the Mediterra- 

 nean region. The plant is of shrubby habit, grow- 

 ing five or six feet high, with large, shining leaves, 

 often a foot long. The flowers are fragrant, of a pale 

 flesh color, with yellow stamens, and are followed by 

 fruit the shape and size of a duck's egg ; at first of a 

 purple tint but gradually assuming a warm reddish 

 color as it ripens. When ripe the fruit may be used 

 raw as a tomato is; if the skin is removed and the 

 fruit stewed with sugar it has a slight sub-acid flavor 

 which is very refreshing. Mr. I. H. Cammack, of 

 Los Angeles county, who grows it successfully, trims 

 up his plants to tree form, and with their large glossy 

 leaves and showy fruit they must be very handsome. 

 The plants bear the second year from the seed and 

 the fruit ripens continuously for several months. It 

 is not expected that the fruit will be of any commer- 

 cial importance, but may be popular for home use, 

 and the plant will be acceptable to all who enjoy 

 striking semi-tropical vegetation. The seeds should 

 be started just as are those of the common tomato 

 and the plants set out eight or ten feet apart. 



Rice By Irrigation, is a subject of experiment 

 at the University of California. It was grown last 

 year on moist land without flooding. Where the soil 

 is kept wet by irrigation or by seepage the plant has 

 been found to make satisfactory growth. In growing 

 rice without the use of standing water, weeds must 

 be destroyed by cultivation and hand pulling from 

 the rows. Sow the rice as early as can be done with- 

 out risk of frost, in drills three or four feet apart if 

 for horse cultivation or two feet apart if to be worked 

 by hand. Keep the soil clear of weeds and as moist 

 as may be feasible. 



The Apple Crop. The apple crop of the United 

 States for 1889, as returned by the census of 1890, 

 was 143,105,689 bushels, against 36,367,747 bushels of 

 peaches and 3,064,375 bushels of pears. But notwith- 

 standing this enormous yield of apples, and in spite, 

 too, of the planting of constantly increasing areas of 

 apple orchards in many parts of the country, there is 

 often a great scarcity of good apples. The remark- 

 able spectacle of a barrel of apples selling at $50 was 

 witnessed in Chicago in the early part of the summer 

 just passed. While such a sale by no means repre- 

 sented the condition of the apple market at the time, 

 yet it emphasized the general scarcity of good apples 

 in the United States, when it would appear the supply 

 should always be adequate to every demand. To the 

 irrigated regions of the Great West must the future 

 look for a full supply of the best apples. An almost 

 unlimited territory may there be found, wherein the 

 soil, climate and other conditions, as altitude, expos- 

 ure, etc., are eminently adapted to the best possible re- 

 sults in apple culture. It is a well-known fact that a 

 large percentage of the apple orchards of the older 

 States have greatly deteriorated in recent years, and 

 are no longer able to supply the fruit demanded by the 

 American people the most voracious fruit consumers 

 in the world. As showing the conditions prevailing 

 over a considerable area of our country at the present 

 time, the following views of a prominent dealer in 

 Boston are here given : " The country is rapidly ap- 

 proaching the time when there will be a permanent 

 scarcity of the finest fruit that grows I mean the ap- 

 ple. The apple orchards in the United States have 

 been allowed to go slowly but surely to ruin, and 

 Lower Canada is now depended upon almost entirely 

 to supply the Atlantic coast market with apples. In 

 northern Michigan there has been a considerable in- 

 crease in the orchard acreage, but this side of the Al- 

 leghany Mountains no apples are now raised that are 

 worthy of the name." 



Poland-China Hogs. The Poland- China is 

 strictly American-bred, and of over forty years' 

 standing. They are a large breed, with strong bone, 

 good feeders, fatten readily at any age, and can be 

 made to dress 300 pounds or more at twelve months 

 old. They have long bodies, short legs, broad, 

 straight backs, and square, heavy hams and shoul- 

 ders. Color black, with white face and white feet, 

 and occasionally white spots. They have drooping 

 ears and fine style. 



The Hen as a Breadwinner. To boom the 

 poultry business as a bonanza fo'r gathering in the 

 shekels so dear to every one is a cruel wrong. To 

 deprecate the business and dwell on its unfortunate 

 victims is equally wrong. There are hundreds of 

 successful poultry breeders in this country, and there 

 are thousands of unsuccessful ones. It will be ever 

 thus, not only in the poultry business, but in hundreds 

 of other pursuits. Let no man or woman be deluded 

 'by rosy promises to expect large revenues from 

 poultry raising, and at the same time let no man or 

 woman with American pluck and sand be frightened 

 at the failure of others. The American hen is a 

 breadwinner, but it takes experience, hard work and 

 common sense to make her shell out her best. 

 American Fancier. 



It is possible to make money out of a dairy when 

 you can sell butter at 30 cents. 



