GARDEN MANUAL FOR THE SOUTHERN STATES. 



'9 



lighter than the latter, and the shape of the 

 eyes is somewhat different Like all pink 

 ■or red varieties it does best in sandy soil, 



but will grow very well in heavy soil, and 

 not rot as easy during a wet season as do the 

 Early Rose or even the Triumph. 



THE SWE^T POTATO. 



Convolvulus Batatas. 



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. Though 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 re 1 and golden fruils to great- 

 est perfection under the benign rays of a Southern sun. It is a plant of a warm climate, a 

 child of the sun, much more nutritious than the Irish Potato on account of the great 

 amount of saccharine matter it contains, and no Southern table should be found without it 

 from first day of August till the last day of May. Some plant early in spring the Potato 

 itself in the prepared ridges, and cut the vines from the 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 pre- 

 paring 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, mr.ke a paste of clay and cow manure; in this dip the 

 roots of the slios and press the earth firmly around them. Old slips are more tenacious of 

 life than 3'oung ones, and will under favorable circumstances answer best. Watering after- 

 wards, 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 disturbed by a plow from the time they are made until the pota- 

 toes are ready to be dug. 



Scrape oft the grass and young weeds with the hoe, and pull up the large ones by hand. 

 Crab grass is peculiarly inimical to the sweet potato, and should be carefully kept out of 

 the patch. The vines should never b~ allowed to take root between the rows. Sweet Po- 

 tatoes should be dug before a heavy frost occurs; a very light one will do no harm. The 

 earth should be dry enough to keep it from sticking to the potatoes. The eld fashioned 

 potato bank is the best arrangement for keeping them, the main points being a dry place 

 and ventilation. 



Varieties generally cultivated in the South: l 



The Yam. Taking into consideration quality and productiveness, the Tam 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. 



Southern Queen. Very similar to the former but smoother, the tubers having no veins, or very 

 few, it is eai lier. 



Shanghai or California Yam. This is the earliest variety we have, frequently, under favorable 

 circumstances, giving good sized tubers two mouths after planting the vine. Very productive, having 

 given 300 bushels per acre when planted early and on rich land. Is almost the only kind cultivated for 

 the New Orleans market. Skin dull white or yellow, flesh white, dry and mealy, in large specimens 

 frequency stringy. 



Vineless or Bush Yam. One of the latest, and as far as known, the only improvement made in 

 the Sweet Potato family ; as good as the old pumpkin or Spanish yam in flavor, but of much superior 

 yielding qualities. The best feature of them is that they do not degenerate or runout, as the general 

 case in the sweet potato family. They can be planted early or as late as July and give excellent results. 



There are some other varieties of Sweet Potatoes highly prized in the West, but not appreciated 

 here The red and yellow Nansemond are of a fine quality and productive but will not sell so well as 

 the California Yam when taken to market. For home Consumption they are flue, and deserve to be 

 cultivated. 



PUMPKIN. 



s 



POTIRON (Fr.), KURBISS (GER.), CaI^ABAZA (Sp.] 



Kentucky Field. 'Cashaw Crook Neck, green striped. 



Gc 



i/Large Cheese. 

 ^Connecticut Field. 



Golden Yellow Mammoth. 

 ^ Small Sugar. 



Are generally grown in the field, with the exception of theCashaw, which isplanted imthe gardes; 

 but great care must be taken not to plant them close to Squashes or Melons as they will mix and spoil 

 their quality. Plant in hills from eight to twelve feet apart. 



— Connecticut Field. A large yellow variety, hard shell, excellent for field culture. 

 — — Small Sugar. Very handsome and prolific, of small size, averaging 10 inches in diameter. Skim 

 deep orange yellow, fine grained, sweet and excellent keeper. Very desirable for table purposes. 



PUMPS AND SYRINGES ALI, KINDS. 



