1861. 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMEK. 



103 



from potatoes from Indiana ere much better than 

 from those grown at Ottawa or Lockport. 



Three years since we persuaded some of our 

 friends near Jonesboro' to try the Nansemond, 

 for though they would not produce ^juite as large 

 crops there as the Ked, yet they would be 8ome 

 weeks earlier, thus would be a gain, in the price. 

 The result is, that they a^e now growing this 

 variety almost exclusively, and one of them took 

 the first premium at the United States Fair, and 

 we had to be content with the second. Indiana 

 sends most of the supply to Chicago, but the 

 time is rot far distant when our own farmers will 

 supply the home demand. 



SOIL. 



The best soil for this crop is a warm sandy 

 leam. WinneDago has a good tract of this west 

 of Kockford, and it abounds in Tazewell and 

 other counties. The ridges of drift sand and 

 gravel in Cook county produce good crops. On 

 one of these drift belts near the Calumet river, 

 Mr. Periam has been very successful. Hca\y 

 clay, if well drained, deeply plowed and well 

 pulverized, will produce good crops. The lighter 

 clay loams are only second to the sandy loams. 

 In the north part of the State hazel bush land is 

 valuable ; in Central Illinois the mulatto colored 

 soil, or light dry loams, are to be selected. South 

 of the "Big Muddy" they thrive well on any of 

 the soils, whether mountain, limestone or sile- 

 cious conglomerate. On the lime mud drift, or 

 prairie portion of Egypt, the croo is more uncer- 

 tain from excessive wet or drouth. 



CULTURE. 



In cultivating this plant, which is of the trail- 

 ing convolvulus family, one indispensable condi- 

 tion is, that the sets must be planted on small 

 hill-like mounds or ridges. In garden culture, 

 the hills are usually employed, but in all cases 

 we prefer the ridge system, both for cheapness 

 of culture and a better yield. In the garden the 

 ridges are thrown up with a spade. They should 

 be two and a half feet at base, and a foot high — 

 the top not sharp, but round, of not less than 

 six inches broad at the top. In fieLi culture the 

 Bpade system would be too expensive, and we 

 must use the plow to throw up the ridges. We 

 have adopted a new plan to ridge up. To do this 

 we mark out a land as though we intended to 

 plow around it ; we go around once in the usual 

 way, then we alter the plow clevis bo that the 

 plow will run about four inches below the bottom 

 of the first furrow, and to cut about two inches 

 from the unbroken land. This, with a good deep 

 tilling plow, will throw this second furrow out 

 upon the first. We next drive around, letting 

 tho ofi"~horse go on the land, and so near the fur- 

 row that the new furrow now being cut will just 

 reach the edge of the first furrow — we then re- 

 peat as before. This makes the ridges three and 

 a half feet apart from centre to centre, and of 

 fair size. Before setting we go over the ridges 

 With a steel rake and smooth them down, and 

 then set the plants about sixteen inches apart, 

 one in a place. We never wait for a rainy spell 

 to set the plants, but prefer to set as we ridge 

 up. This is done with a dibble, which is a pointed 



iron something like the one on the lower end of 

 a surveyor's staff; one of wood wi 1 answer. 

 This is thrust into the place where the plant is to 

 be set, some four or five inches deep. Hold it in 

 the right hand, and with the left hand hold the 

 plant in the hole as deep as it should be set, and 

 with the point of the dibble rattle in fitie earth 

 to within an inch or so of the surface. Do not 

 press it at all about the plant ; nor is »t material 

 whether the earth is damp or quite dry, but see 

 that it is fine and not lumpy. A boy or man fol- 

 lows the person setting; with a pail of water, and 

 pours about half a pint on the roots of each plant ; 

 and 60 soon as the water settles away, the ground 

 should be filled in and made level about the plant. 

 Cultivate with a shovel plow, so as to destroy 

 the weeds between the rows and at the base of 

 the ridge. A hoe will be necessary to finish up. 



A ^'EW IMPLEMENT WANTED. 



We want an implement that will run between 

 the ridges before planting, so as to throw all the 

 loose earth upon the ridge to give it form, and to 

 be followed with a corrugated roller, that will 

 pulverize the lumps and press the ridges more 

 firmly together. It will be seen that we cannot 

 pulverize the ridges with a harrow, and that the 

 small lumps must remain as thrown out with the 

 plow; but with a roller made so as to fit the 

 ridge, this could be accomplished, if followed 

 soon after the plowing, and would greatly benefit 

 the soil. Who will invent and get up this imple- 

 ment ? 



WHAT SHALL WE PLAXT AETER ? 



Sweet Potatoes do well year after year on the 

 same grouud, with the addition of well rotted 

 , stable manure. After Irish potatoes — corn, 

 beans, the small grains, (if fall plowed), and 

 other garden vegetables. Tho grouud should be 

 sheltered from the winds that rob the soil of its 

 heat, and as they are not to be set until danger 

 from frost is over, we should give them a 



SOUTHERN ASPECT, 



For being a tropical plant, they like the sun in 

 all its vigor. Our object should be to give them 

 plenty of heat, and to keep off the north and 

 northwest wind. In setting them in the garden, 

 give them the lightest spot towards the south, 

 but with a back ground of high board fence, trees 

 or shrubs. 



A WORD TO THE EXP BESS COMPANY. 



A large share of the plants set are sent through 

 your hands, for it is cheaper to purchase a few 

 hundred plants than to attempt to sprout them. 

 The plants are put in shallow boxes open at the 

 top, and of course just in the condition to water 

 if needed. When packages have been in your 

 hands three or four days, they are apt to show 

 signs of drooping, and in that case nothing is so 

 natural or shows more unmistakably your care 

 as to water them ; but unfortunately this kind- 

 ness of yours is theiF sure death. The leaves 

 will soon turn black, and in a few hours the 

 plants are not only dead, but produce an ofi'ensive 

 rotten mass. AYhile all other plants in the same 



