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SEE©-TWE km HARVEST. 
Sweet Potato Culture. 
BY N. J. SHEPHERD. 
Sweet potatoes do not require an extra 
rich soil, in fact, a light sandy loam is the 
best soil for them, and, unless the land is 
thin, no manure is necessary. 
The plants should be started in a hot-bed 
made by digging a hole the size wanted and 
two feet deep, into which put a layer of 
leaves, if they can be procured; if not, straw 
will answer though not quite so well. Then 
put in a heavy filling of fresh manure, horse 
manure is much the best, as fresh from the 
stable as possible. Scatter evenly over the 
bed until it is eighteen inches deep. Over 
this spread anothar thin layer of leaves or 
straw and then about two inches of loose 
mellow soil. Cover over with boards and 
bank u£> around on the outside so as to keep 
in the heat and exclude the water if it 
should rain. Let it stand three days then 
put in the potatoes. Lay them reasonably 
close together, just so there is a small space 
between them is all that is necessary. Cover 
them with tw r o or three inches of light loam. 
The bed should be kept covered at night and 
on cool or rainy days. I prefer to water 
them with tepid water rather than to risk 
allowing the rain to do the watering. I like 
to have the bed open to the sunshine as 
mucbras possible to toughen the plants. If 
care is taken in pulling off the sprouts so as 
not to disturb the potatoes, a new set will 
soon start up again, so that a small bed will 
give a large lot of plants. 
The land for the potatoes should be well 
plowed and harrowed fine. To make the 
ridges, take a good two horse plow and 
throw two furrows together, running the 
plow rather deep. Then go over the ridges 
with a rake and put the surface in as fine a 
condition as possible, especially the top. In 
my experience, the evening is the best time 
to set out the plants. Prepare a pan of soil 
mixed with water until about as thick as 
cream. Pull off as many sprouts as you 
want to set out. Stir the roots well into the 
mixture until as much as possible has been 
made to adhere to the roots. In setting out 
I use a sharp round pointed stick, made of 
some kind of hard wood with a cross piece 
on top for a handle. Make a hole with the 
stick, put in the plant and press the dirt 
firmly about the roots. Care must be taken 
to do this work well, as a failure to press 
the soil against the roots so that they can 
have something to feed upon is the main 
cause of so many plants failing to grow. 
If this work is carefully done, and the 
roots have as much of this soil adhering to 
them as they should have, very few, if any, 
of the plants will fail to grow. Generally 
ninety-five per cent of plants set out in this 
way will grow without any extra watering. 
If the setting is done late in the season when 
the ground is dry, it may be better to give 
one watering the next evening, but ordina¬ 
rily this will not be found neoessary. 
Clean cultivation is a requisite with this- 
crop as with any other. A good single shov¬ 
el plow is a good implement to cultivate the 
crop with, but generally hand hoeing will 
have to be done, especially aground the 
plants, as it is difficult to get a machine that 
will do this work. 
Eldon , Mo., Mar. 1884. 
DC A PCD J My price list of Choice Seed Potatoes 
nCA&JCn b for 1884 is out. I cordially ask you to 
send for it. L. F. DINTLEMANN, Bellevilll, III. 
^ Tear Keeping BEES. Particulars free. 
Send Name on Postal now. Don't xoait. 
WBSmm® K. P. KIDDER, BURLINGTON, VT. 
Sweet Potatoes for Seed. 
I can supply the best Jersey Seed Sweet Potatoes, 
both Yellow and Red, at the lowest market rates. 
Prices on application. J. jL. BORBEN, 
Miekleton, N. JT. 
jPg * from Prem. Plymouth Rock Fowls, 
s&ata sent safely to any address by express 
Price $1.50 per dozen, $2 for 26. Send for price list of 
Grapes, Strawberries, Raspberries, grown & for sale 
at CEDAR HILL FRUIT FARM, 
4 Harman’s, Md., R. S. Cole. 
PLYMOUTH BOOK^ 
I Gilman’s Renowned Strain. 
Four Yards open range. First class Stock only. 
$2.00 for 15 Eggs, or 13 Eggs for 1.50 and 
those who mention Seed-Time and Harvest will 
receive 2 extra eggs. W. G. HART, 
4tf Box No. 2, Walden, Orange Co., N. Y. 
$5 PRIZE PICTURE. 
Five dollars in cash will be paid to the one sending 
the correct solution of the Union Prize Picture Puzzle 
before May 1st. Send 12 cents for Picture and 25 
Chromo Cards with your name on then'. 
a-5 A. F. HINKLEY, Box 93, Cumberland, Me. 
-PAGE BOOK 
on SILK CULTURE, FOREST TREES, 
TAME GRASSES, SUGAR CANE and 
RUSSIAN MULBERRY. Price, 5 Cents. 
Address, 
E. L. MEYER, Hutchinson, Kas* / 
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