GARDEN MANUAL FOR THE SOUTHERN STATES. 57 



THZ: GEM SEED POTATO CUTTEB. — Has all 



the essential features necessary to a first-class 

 tool. It will cut any size potato in pieces uni- 

 form in size, thereby insuring- more accurate 

 planting- -when power planting- is used. The 

 operator, to g-et the best results, will pick up the 

 tuber, look for the seed or blossom end, passing- 

 it over the knife on upper side of pressure lever, 

 thus removing- the cause of so many empty 

 potato hills in your potato patch. Weig-ht 12 lbs. 

 packed. Price, $3.00. 



FOBMUI.A FOB SCALY POTATOES. — One 

 pint of formaldehyde to 30 gallons of water, 

 soaking- the seed potatoes in the solution two 

 hours before planting-, allowing: them to dry 

 thorougrhly before cutting-. As the formaldehyde 

 solution does not lose its streng-th, keep on using- 

 the same solution as long as there are potatoes 

 to be planted. This is very effective. 



SEEJDENB, 



SWEET POTATOES. 



Porto Bican 

 Potato. 



For Price List See Bed Pages in Back of Book. Slips 30c. per 100; $3.00 per 1,000; 

 In 5,000 lots $2.75; 10,000 and over at $2.50 per thousand, not postpaid. 



Convolvulus Batatas. 

 CUZiTUBE. — The Sweet Potato is, next to corn, the most important food crop in 

 the South. They are a wholesome and nutritious diet, good for man and beast. Thoug:h 

 cultivated to a limited extent on the sandy lands of New Jersey and some of the Middle 

 States, it thrives best on the light rich lands of the South, which bring- their red and 

 g-olden fruits to a greatest perfection under the benig-n rays of a Southern sun. Some 

 plant early in Spring the potato itself in the prepared ridges, and cut the vines from tlie 

 potato when large enough and plant them out; others start the potatoes in a bed prepared 

 expressly for that purpose, and slip off the sprouts as they come up and set these out. 

 The latter method will produce the earliest potatoes; others who set the vines say that 

 they make the largest tubers. In preparing the land the soil should be thoroughly 

 pulverized, the ridges laid off about five feet apart, well drawn up and rather flat on top. 

 If everything is ready, and time for planting has arrived, do not wait for a rain, make a 

 paste of clay and cow manure, in this dip the roots of the slips and press the earth 

 firmly around tliem. Old slips are more tenacious of life than young ones, and will, under 

 favorable circumstances, answer best. Watering afterwards, if dry weather continues, of 

 course will be beneficial. Otherwise plant your vines and slips just before or after a rain. 

 Two feet apart in rows is considered a good distance. The ridges should never be dis- 

 turbed by a plow from the time they are made until the potatoes are ready lo be dug. 

 Scrape off the grass and young weeds ■Piri'th the hoe, and pull up the large ones by hand. 

 Under ordinary methods of planting, about 7,000 plants are set on an acre; it requires 

 an excellent barrel of seed to produce this number of draws or slips. Varieties generally 

 cultivated in the South are: 



PUMPKIN YAM. — Taking into sonsidera- 

 tion quality and productiveness, the Yam 

 stands at the head of the list. Frequently 

 when baked the saccharine matter in the 

 shape of candy will be seen hanging to 

 them in strings. Skin and flesh yellow and 

 very sweet. Without doubt the best potato 

 for family use. This is the kind mostly 

 planted in the South and is a universal 

 favorite in this section. 



SOUTHEBN QUEEN. — A distinct vari- 

 ety, oval in shape, white flesh, the tubers 

 having no veins, or very few; bears early, 

 yields bountifully and is largely used for 

 canning purposes, 



DOOLE7 YAM. — Yellow skin and flesh, 

 somewhat similar to the Pumpkin Yam; Is 

 very productive and yields a large crop. 

 It is very sweet and sugary. 



POBTO BICAN. — This is a comparatively 

 new potato in this section, but it is as 

 rapidly as possible supplanting all other 

 varieties here. To say that it combines the 

 best qualities of the leading soutliern vari- 

 eties is not putting it extravagantly. It is 

 quite early, very prolific, is unequaled as a 

 keeper through the winter, makes a splen- 

 did appearance on the market, and is a 

 splendid table variety. The flesh is what 

 in this section is usually spoken of as red, 

 about like the Pumpkin Yam. The skin is 

 a plea.«ing pink. It vines heavily making 

 it easy of cultivation. 



All of our Potatoes are of Pure Eastern Grown Stock. 



