76 ' J. STECKLER SEED CO., LTD., ALMANAC AND 
B b k Of late sorts this is more largely size, fine form, and an excellent yielder. The flesh 
urbanks used than any other. Itisof good is white, and is very mealy and of fine flavor. 
W : A fine late variety of excellent 
hite Elephant. quality, fine flavor, wonder- 
fully productive; of great beauty anda fine keeper. Tubers 
large and solid, growing closely together :n the hills 
The Gem Seed Potato Cutter ceeee tal 
features necessary to a first class tool. It will cut any size 
potato in pieces uniform in size, thereby 1 insuring more ac- 
CAeite planting when power planting is used. The operator, 
to get 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 somany empty 
potato hills in your potato patch. Then, according to size 
of potato, place it on knives, so that, when lever is pushed 
down, it will be cut into either two, four or Six; or, if avery 
large one, split it, and cut each half into as many pieces as 
: its size will require. From six to eight bushels can be cut 
EF \ with itinan hour. The saving in time alone will more than 
Dg pay for this cutter the first season itis used. Price, $2.50. 
One pint of formaldehyde to 30 gallons of water, soaking the 
Formula for Sealy P otatoes. seed potatoes in the solution two hours before planting, al-: 
lowing them to dry thoronghly before cutting. As the formaldehyde solution does not lose its strength, keep 
on using the same solution as long as there are potatoes to be planted. Thisis very effective 
Sweet Potatoes. 
For PRICE LIST SEE RED PAGES IN BACK OF BOOK. 
Convolvulus Batatas. 
CULTURE The Sweet Potato is, next tocorn, the most important food crop in the South. They 
are a wholesome and nutritious diet, good for man and beast. Though cultivated toa 
jimited 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 golden fruits to greatest perfection under the benign rays 
of a Southern sun. It isa plant of awarm 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 the 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 preparing the land the soilshould be thoroughly pulverized, the ridges laid off 
about five feet apart; well drawn up and rather flat ontop. If everything is ready, and time for planting has 
arrived, do not “wait forarain, make a paste of clay and cow manure, in thisdip the roots of the slips and 
press the earth firmly around them. 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 slipsjust beforeorafterarain. Two feet apart in rows is con- 
sidered a good distance. The ridges should never be disturbed by a plow from the time they are made until 
the potatoes are ready to be dug. Scrape off the grass and young weeds withthe 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 be allowed to take root between the rows. Sweet potatoes should be dug be- 
fore a heavy frost occurs; a very light one will dono harm. The earth shonld bé dry enough to keep it from 
sticking in the potatoes. The old fashioned potato bank is the best arrangement for keeping them, the main 
points being a dry place and ventilation. Bedding one barrel of seed will produce enough slips for each 
acre to be planted. This wi'l he sufficient provided the seed potatoes are rather small and all in good sound 
condition so that they will produce an abundance of slips, otherwise a larger quantity, even as much as two 
barrels will be required. While under ordinary methods of planting, about 7,000 plants are set on an acre, it 
sa aoe an rece barrel of seed to produce this number of draws or slips. Varieties generally celtivated 
in the Sou ; 
Pumpkin Yam. 
= Taking into consideration shape of candy will be seen hanging to them in 
Pumpkin Yam quality and productive- | strings. Skin and flesh yellow and very sweet. 
ness, the Yam stands at the head of the list. Fre- Without doubt the best potato for family use. 
quently when baked the saccharine matter in the 
Leg Bands for Tagging Poultry. Rc 
