64 
March, 1889. 
and as soon as the water soaks in, throw 
a little loose earth around to prevent the 
crusting of the watered surface. Just 
before a rain is the best time to plant, 
when practicable, but after a heavy rain 
is generally about the worst. A trowel 
or dibble may be used in planting, but 
I find it much more expeditious to use 
the hand, and if the soil is loose and friable, 
as it should be. it is just as readily done. 
When the plants can be had early and the 
weather is fine, early planting is best, but I 
have often known frost or continued cold 
weather to ruin the first planting, and no 
infallible rule can be given on this point. 
CULTIVATION. 
As soon as any weeds show them- 
selves or the surface gets at all 
hard or crusted, a narrow cultivator 
should be run between the ridges, and 
the ridges lightly hoed or raked over; the 
surface must be kept loose and free from 
weeds until the vines cover the ground. 
When the vines begin to interfere with cul- 
tivating, they are often turned into alter- 
nate rows, and after the cleared rows are 
cultivated, turned back, to give room to 
cultivate the others, but I prefer to wind 
the vines in a coil on each hill. It is the 
general belief that the vines should be 
lifted often enough through the season 
to prevent rooting between the rows, which 
they always do, in wet weather at least, if 
undisturbed, but I do not find that the main 
crop is lessened by allowing them to remain, 
even though tubers as large as ones finger 
are formed along the vines. 
HARVESTING. 
As soon as the vines are frosted, or sooner 
if the tubers are sufficiently grown, select a 
sunny day, cut the vines at the surface and 
with a spading fork, pry them out carefully 
so as neither to cut or bruise them, break 
them from the vine and allow them to dry 
off in the sunshine before picking up. Of 
course it will be observed that digging 
should be stopped early enough in the day 
to allow time for this drying. When New 
England settlers first tried their hands at 
Jersey products in Vineland, Mr. Landis sent 
his agent around on the morning of the first 
killing frost to inform them that unless the 
vines were immediately cut off, the pota- 
toes would be spoiled, but we have long 
since learned that this is all nonsense, and 
no harm will ensue from leaving them till 
convenient to take care of them, unless left 
till the ground gets wet and cold, which will 
injure the quality. Another point is of im- 
portance. If any of the tubers accidentally 
get frosted, the part should lie carefully cut 
off and the cut dried in the sun at once. It 
should lie borne in mind that all rough hand- 
ling makes them liable to decay, although 
breaking or cutting off the ends smoothly 
does not seem to hurt them if done at digging 
time and they are allowed to dry off in the sun 
before storing. 
STORING AND KEEPING. 
Another important difference between 
the sweet and the round potato is that 
exposure to light and a high temperature 
will cause the common potato to turn green 
and sprout, which ruins them for eating; 
not so with the sweet potato. Light does not 
hurt them, neither does sprouting to any 
reasonable extent and the main point in 
keeping them sound is to give them a high 
temperature for the first week or ten days after 
storing. For a storage room I have a corner 
of my cellar partitioned off, the floor and 
walls well coated with water-proof cement 
and a small coal stove placed in it which 
keeps the temperature up from 75 degrees 
to 90 degrees until they get well seasoned 
and begin to sprout, after which 55 degrees 
is about the proper temperature, although 
if it happens a few times to go down to 45 
degrees for a short time, or up to 75 degrees 
no harm will follow. A room which I have, 
10x12 feet, is sufficient for 200 bushels and 
also affords a fine place for keeping tube- 
roses. It is better to elevate the bins or 
barrels a few inches above the floor, and if 
more than the depth of a barrel, a second 
package should be used to prevent too great 
weight pressing on them. Such a room 
should be made fully mouse-proof and the 
door never be left open for them to get in 
while the potatoes are in it. A window hung 
on hinges, with an outer frame covered with 
mosquito wire, affords ventilation if re- 
quired, but it will rarely be necessary to 
open it. 
To keep sufficient fire through the winter 
in my sweet potato room, the stove re- 
quires to be looked after only once in 24 
hours, and I only keep it warm in the center, 
and can bear my hand on both top and bot- 
tom at all times after the first seasoning, 
and it does not take over 10 to 15 lbs. of 
coal per day. Those who wish to keep a 
few sweet potatoes often place a barrel, or 
box, of them in a kitchen that is kept warm 
night and day, and those who wish to lay in 
a few can readily keep them in any closet 
or other place where the mercury never 
goes below 55 degrees, if in good condition 
when ptit in. 
VARIETIES. 
Yellow Nansemond is the most popular 
variety, but Red Nansemond is better in all 
respects. It is of better form, more produc- 
tive, sweeter, dryer and a much better 
keeper, the only objection to it is, that, al- 
though in some markets where it is well 
known, it sells for 25c. per barrel more than 
the yellow varieties, it does not sell as well 
in some of the largest markets, which is 
probably caused by confounding it with the 
Red Bermuda, a coarse and stringy sort. 
The Bermudas are grown to some extent 
as early varieties, but are really no earlier 
than the others. Instead, however, of form- 
ing a large number of tubers, they fre- 
quently make only one, or two, or three, 
and all the growth being concentrated on 
these, they acquire edible size sooner than 
the large number of the Nansemond. The 
Bermuda varieties are readily distinguished 
by their coarser vines and foliage and when 
dug, by their large, rough irregular tubers, 
while the Red Nansemond is particularly 
smooth, usually having its largest diameter 
some two inches from one end and tapering 
moderately to about the same distance from 
the other, and from these points to the 
ends. The Yellow Nansemond has its largest | 
diameter near the middle. The vines of 
both of them are alike except that the red 
variety has a reddish color in both stems and 
leaves. Those who are growing for their 
own tables would do well to plant the Red 
Nansemond exclusively, and I advise pur- 
chasers in market to carefully test the two 
varieties at different times, and I think they 
will generally give preference to the Red. — 
Wm. F. Bassett. 
Seasonable Reminders. 
Do not delay sending in order for seeds 
but get them at once. 
Those who have not yet planted seeds of 
Early Tomatoes should do so now. 
Also plant in boxes, seeds of early cab- 
bage and lettuce for plants to set out in 
April. For varieties see what Mr. Massey 
says in this number and in February Or- ^ 
CHARD AND GARDEN. 
If you have no hotbed y ou can start your 
seeds almost as well in any sunny window 
in the kitchen. Sow in a shallow box and 
when the plants have made their first leaves 
transplant into another box giving more 
room to them. 
Soap boxes are excellent for this purpose 
and may be bought for a few cents each. 
Nail on the lid tightly and saw them length- 
ways twice through the middle 60 as to 
form three shallow boxes and make a bot- 
tom for the middle section. 
The soil should not be too heavy but with 
a fair proportion of sand in it. There is 
nothing better for this purpose than sifted 
coal ashes, which lightens the soil and caus- 
es a fine growth of fibrous roots. 
Take advantage of fine days to do outdoor 
work now, that you will have no time to do *» 
next month. Procure and sharpen plenty 
of pea brush, bean poles, etc. Draw out 
manure to where it will be wanted. 
Have, at all times, an eye to the manure 
pile. Allow nothing to go to waste. Put 
all coarse material into a compost heap, 
turning frequently and keeping the whole 
wet with soap suds, slops, etc, from the house. 
Wood ashes, soot, and such like should be 
carefully saved and kept dry under cover. 
Soot is a valuable fertilizer, containing much 
ammonia. Save the bones, and when you 
have sufficient on hand proceed to reduce 
them. Take 100 pounds of bones broken in- 
to small fragments; pack them into a tight 
box or cask with 100 pounds of good wood 
ashes. Mix with the ashes before packing, 
25 pounds of slacked lime and 12 pound of 
Sal Soda, powdered fine. It will require 
about 20 gallons of water to saturate the n, 
mass, and more may be added from time 
to time. In two or three weeks the bones 
will be so soft that they may be turned out 
and mixed with two bushels of good soil, 
and when the mass is dry it will be ready 
for use. 
