*flj 

 CULTIVATION OF PLANTS. 



quantity, have the joints well fastened and made as tight as possible put 

 into the cellar on skids, raising it three or four inches from the cellar bottom. 

 It' the potatoes are intended to be taken out at different times, two or three 

 partitions should be put in crosswise of the bin, to prevent such as are not re- 

 quired lor immediate use from exposure to the atmosphere. After this prepa- 

 ration is completed, the next operation is gathering and housing them. Here 

 I must again dissent from the usual practice of farmers generally. Instead of 

 leaving them in the sun and wind to dry, after digging, in small parcels, in 

 carts or heaps, they should be immediately 1 covered with the tops, or some- 

 thing else, even if they remain in the field but a few hours. This destructive 

 practice I think must be entirely attributable to want of reflection. It is the 

 sole cause which produces the evil so much complained of, by us called the 

 watery potato by the Irish tne winded potato destroying not only the 

 flavour, but a great portion of the nutriment. In fact, sun, wind and rain are 

 ns destructive to a new dug potato, as moonlight is to a fresh caught fish. 

 When your potatoes are removed to the cellar, put into the bottom of the bin 

 two inches of fresh earth; then fill one apartment with potatoes, within three 

 or four inches of the top immediately cover it with tough grass turf, cut up 

 with the spade a little dove-tailing, to the thickness of three or four inches, 

 cover them with the turf, grass side up, packed close and pounded down with 

 !en maul, to exclude as much air as possible. In this manner, in a cel- 

 lar of suitable temperature, they may be kept fresh and good for a year with- 

 minating. No danger is to be apprehended of having too much dirt 

 i the potatoes it assists in preserving them. An occasional sprinkling 

 of fresh canh among them will be found serviceable. 



2. THE SWEET POTATO. 



THE sweet potato is supposed to be a native of the West 

 Indies. It was introduced into many parts of Europe, through 

 Spain, soon after the discovery of America, and is, most proba- 

 bly, the species spoken of by all those ancient writers who 

 allude to it under the name of battatas. They were carried 

 from Spain to England; these were called the Spanish sweet 

 potato. In 1586, Sir WALTER RALEIGH, on his return from. 

 Carolina, introduced their culture into Ireland.* Its true 

 botanical name is convolvolus battatas. 



The sweet potato cannot be cultivated to any extent or 

 profit north of the 41st degree of latitude. In the lower coun- 

 ties of New Jersey, and in the southern states, it flourishes 

 luxuriantly. It delights in a mellow sandy soil, and the richer 

 the better. 



This excellent vegetable would be more extensively cultivated but for the 

 great labour of planting and cultivating them in the usual mode, and for the 

 difficulty of keeping them in the winter. 



To obviate the first difficulty, I have, for about twenty years, ceased making 

 hills altogether, and planted in ridges. I break up the ground well, and if ne- 

 cessary, harrow it then with a barshear or cary plough, throw three furrows 

 together. To complete the ridge, take a weeding hoe or fine rake, and draw 



* By some writers it is said to be a native of the east, and to have been very 

 early scattered throughout all southern Europe. Others, with perhaps more 

 propriety, insist upon its West India origin, allege that it was taken thence to 

 the Philippian Islands, and afterwards dispersed over Asia and Europe. 



