1867.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
139 
Sweet Potato Culture. 
BY W. W. RATHB0NE, MARIETTA, OHIO. 
The following article gives the method of pre- 
paring the laud for sweet potatoes; that portion 
relating to setting the plants and cultivation 
will be given another month. 
The Yellow Nansemond is the only variety 
worthy of general culture in the Northern and 
Middle States. Of robust habit, it matures early, 
and is fit for the table as soon as of sufficient 
size. Soil is poor that will not produce remu- 
nerative crops of corn and Irish potatoes. Tet I 
have grown 10"3'| 3 bushels of Nansemonds per 
acre, without manure, on a side hill, the same 
land having failed in corn and Irish potatoes. 
Soil and Preparation. — Sandy and gravelly 
soils are generally selected, and many think 
other soils will not answer. I have not a rod 
of sandy soil, and grow fifteen acres per annum. 
My soil is mellow, if properly treated — very 
cloddy, if mismanaged by plowing when wet. 
I have produced good crops on red clay land, 
and raise annually several acres on a yellow 
loam. Where the soil is poorest, with very hard 
sub-soil, the Nansemonds grow of a rounded 
form, while in the richer, deeper and mellower 
soil they are more elongated. There is many a 
field laid by as too poor for corn or wheat, or, as 
many would say, good oul}' for beans, that 
would produce excellent sweet potatoes, with 
but a slight dressing of well rotted manure, and 
leached or unleached ashes. On no other crop 
does manure tell so plainly. The sweet potato 
is well adapted to thin soils, especially as it is 
not an exhaustive crop. I have known it to be 
raised fifteen years on the same plot of land, 
showing no diminution of yield. The coating of 
vines seems to add more to the soil than is ex- 
tracted by the potatoes. On rich soils too much 
vine is produced at the expense of the roots. 
By saving none but the largest potatoes for. 
planting, I notice a constant increase in the 
yield per acre. As for fifty years the small 
and refuse potatoes have been saved for seed, 
the wonder is that a crop can be raised at all. 
A southern aspect is best, yet any other will 
answer. I always prefer rolling land, and in 
many years' experience in cultivating side hills, I 
entirely dissent from the practice almost uni- 
versally recommended by writers, viz : "Make 
the ridges run parallel to the hill to avoid wash- 
ing." It is nonsense to try to dam up the quan- 
tity of water that falls in our summer showers. 
My experience with the sweet potato proves 
it best to get rid of all surface water as soon as 
possible. Therefore, run the ridges from top to 
bottom of all inclinations, in order that each 
ditch may carry its own water, and the quan- 
tity will never be sufficient to do much damage. 
In very light soils, especially if sandy, ridges 
are by many preferred to hills, but on loamy 
and clayey soils make hills by all means. I pre- 
fer them in all cases, because you are more cer- 
tain of a good crop ; the sun, reaching all sides 
of the hill, ripens the potatoes sooner, more bush- 
els of large potatoes can be had ; and early in the 
season the large tubers can easily be found, by 
the bursting of the hills, and grabbled; which, if 
the operation be done by first cutting the pota- 
to loose before pulling, is a positive benefit to 
those remaining. I have thus passed over a 
crop three times before digging, and finally 
taken out large potatoes on the 10th of October 
that were very small on the 20th of September. 
Many who attempt sweet potato growing 
make great ridges, 2'| a or 3 feet broad at the base ; 
and soine flatten them on the top, fearing 
drought. Better throw away the plants at once 
than place them in or on such a mass of earth. 
New Mode of Hakdtg Ridges. — For twelve 
years I followed the stereotyped plan of throw- 
ing two heavy furrows together with a two 
horse team; it was killing work, and made 
crooked rows. Eight years ago I invented an 
easy method, by which ridges can be made as 
straight as the furrow by a marking out plow. 
This has been worth much to me, as by it 
many more hills can be planted per acre, and 
experienced growers know that the narrow 
ridges give the greatest product. 
From the 1st to the loth of May, when danger 
of hard frosts is over, the land, having been 
plowed, harrowed and rolled, should be ridged. 
With two horses and a plow, turning a furrow 
slice to the right hand, begin on the left hand 
side of the field, throwing a furrow as the team 
passes down the hill. Drive back to place of 
beginning without plowing. Set the clevis 
over to the extreme left of the beam. The 
near horse 
is now to 
walk in the 
furrow first 
made, while 
81 the off horse 
*"■ 0F MiKIXG EIDGES - walks on the 
land to be ridged, and the plow is held off to 
follow, cutting along and taking off part of the 
first furrow slice, leaving a ridge as you go, 
never to be over eighteen inches in diameter at 
the base. When at the foot of the hill, come 
back, dressing up lightly in the same furrow — 
i. e., the one last passed down in, letting the 
near horse walk in the last furrow, and the off 
horse in the next one to the right. When pass- 
ing up hill crooked places can be straightened. 
In the figure 1 and 2 show finished ridges. The 
nigh horse walks at B, and the off one at A, 
the perpendicular line shows where the plow is 
to be set to turn the next ridge. 
This mode of making ridges will be valuable 
to all persons who wish to ridge laud in autumn, 
to expose it to the action of frost or for aeration. 
I can expose four acres per diem, by going en- 
tirely round the field — the return furrow would 
be useless. And more ; I can make the ridges 
sharp, two feet from tip to tip, and therefore 
more readily permeated by frost and air. 
For and Against Dogs. 
The affection with which man regards the 
animals which are dependent upon or attached 
to him varies greatly, and is nearly in propor- 
tion to the affection they show in return. The 
sheep is more valuable to man than the dog, 
but the dog returns with the strongest mani- 
festations of affection man's kindness to him, 
while the sheep barely recognises its owner, and 
even pet lambs, however fondled, show no love 
in return, except a love for the food the)' get. 
It is not then to be wondered at that man should 
love the clog, which, of all other animals, ex- 
hibits qualities the most loveable. His affection 
for his master is often such as few friends or 
even brethren show for each other; his intelli- 
gence and docility place him in these respects 
foremost among brutes; his faithfulness, the off- 
spring of his intelligence and affection, renders 
him a worthy type of this almost divine virtue. 
David could use no stronger words than " If lie 
slay me yet will I trust in him," and this is the 
constant attitude of the meanest cur towards 
the master to whom he has attached himself. 
No cruelty will drive him away, no abuse will 
weaken his love, nor will severity, and all harsh 
treatment combined, prevent the exercise of his 
faithfulness. Taking this view of the relations 
of the dog to his master, well may he be to man 
an emplification of the traits, love, joy, long suf- 
fering, gentleness, faith, meekness. " Against 
such" says the Apostle Paul, " tJiere is no laic.'" 
All dogs do not exhibit those qualities equally, 
yet all in a considerable degree, and like men, 
their good behavior and intelligence depend 
much upon their bringing up. But dogs are 
enemies to all the world except their masters, 
their families and friends, so while we all that 
have opportunity love a dog, we, as a rule, dislike 
dogs in general. They are dangerous, ugh' brutes, 
cross, apt to bite severely and subject to a dis- 
tressing malady, which prompts the most peace- 
able to bite, and which, by their bite, is com- 
municated with fearful certainty to man and 
other animals, causing inexpressible distress, 
and, almost certainly, the most terrible of deaths. 
Dogs are naturally beasts of prey, and no civili- 
zation or association with man will destroy 
their natural instincts to pursue the weaker ani- 
mals. So the}' are the natural enemies of sheep, 
and the statistics of the immense destruction 
they cause are sufficient to condemn the entire 
race in an economical point of view, notwith- 
standing, that when trained from birth, they 
become such docile and faithful guardians of 
the flock, defending their charge, even against 
their own kind, and with their own lives. 
Our laws may be too severe to be rigidly en- 
forced, for the people will not sustain them if 
they aim at the absolute extinction of dogs. 
While, therefore, we agree very well with 
" Connecticut," and the hang-dog picture in our 
last number, we sympathize very fully with him 
who loves a dog; in fact, there is one animated 
little piece of dog flesh which would weigh 
heavily against a great many pounds of mutton 
in the estimation of the writer. Well has he 
earned the affection with which he is regarded. 
No law could be executed which is too severe, 
yet the people demand the greatest possible 
security for their flocks, and against the undue 
multiplication of dogs, which so greatly en- 
hances the danger from madness — hydrophobia. 
The picture on the next page, needs barely 
a word of comment. Our artist has grouped a 
number of beautiful designs — chiefly from Sir 
Edwin Landseer's paintings, with some of his 
own. They exhibit different traits and phases 
of canine character and expression, and show 
the dog in his various relations to man — of ser- 
vant, guard, play fellow, companion and friend. 
We are proud to call attention to this picture as 
a successful effort of both artist and engravers. 
The central figure is that of the Skyc Terrier. 
The beggar's dog, though a mongrel, is in good 
part of Scotch Terrier blood; the next, to the 
right, is the Mastiff — then comes a pair of Smooth 
Rat-terriers, in a very spirited attitude ; next we 
have one of a group by Jardin, which represents 
a rough-haired Pointer, common in Europe. The 
rag and bone pickers' drudge is a common cur, 
and the scene — dogs working hard at drawing 
a hand-cart — is common in our cities. Next is 
a fancy group of a Newfoundland's and two 
Hound's heads. The two lower corners show a 
contrast between the life of dogs in humble 
circles, and in those of wealth and luxury. 
The one a common cur of bull-dogish aspect ; 
the other the Scotch Greyhound. The dog with 
a hare we arc at a loss to name, it probably re- 
presents a cross between the Shepherd and Ter- 
rier — said to be a very good cross for hunting 
singly, if trained. The dog with doves is a 
portrait; and the group on the right shows a 
Retriever (with the duck), and a Cocker Spaniel, 
