520 
August 18 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
is especially suited tor ditching' down hill, digging 
burdocks, yellow docks and the like. 
The pipe was put together, beginning at the reser¬ 
voir, and every coupling tested before being lowered 
into the ditch. One small leak was found in the mid¬ 
dle of a IG-foot length. The water is carried down 
the flat through the garden in a surface pipe with 
plenty of T’s and valves. When the valves leak, I 
take them apart and tie a piece of soft leather over 
the globe as one would do up a stubbed toe. I un¬ 
couple the surface pipe from the buried one before 
winter. So far I have used only three fourth-inch 
hose, which requires 30 minutes to run out 20 barrels; 
but I shall follow the advice of The R. N.-Y., “quick 
work wins,” and use lK*inch pipe hereafter. 
The chances for a market gardener are rather slim 
away back here 25 miles from any good market, 9K 
from the nearest railroad in an opposite direction, 
with a farm of 94 acres to work. So the garden is 
only a side issue. Few of the farmers about here 
grow anything in the vegetable line, excepting pota¬ 
toes. I grow nearly everything from A to Z, except¬ 
ing tobacco. Strawberries have done wonders for me 
under high culture and irrigation. I carry no insur¬ 
ance, as I can throw a stream of water over any build¬ 
ing on the farm, from the ground. w. B. 
Troupsburg, N. Y. 
POTATOES VS. DROUGHT. 
THE DIFFERENCES IN VARIETIES. 
The potato crop for 1894 is nearing maturity earlier 
than usual, owing to drought extending through the 
entire month of July. During the past 10 days, the 
glare of a July sun, day after day, followed by hot 
nights without even a particle of dew, has injured the 
crop. If no relief comes soon, the crop in Ohio will be 
next to a total failure. Such seasons always bring 
some experiences that are of practical benefit. Last 
year, growers that planted extra early, came out much 
the best, as their potatoes were sufiSciently advanced 
in growth so that the drought that began the middle 
of July, did them but little harm, while those who 
planted three weeks later, fared hard with less than 
a half crop. This season, the case is practically re¬ 
versed, as the early plantings are now far beyond re¬ 
demption, with less than a half crop, while later plant¬ 
ings will yet make fair crops should rain come to the 
rescue in the course of a few days. Right here comes 
in one of the most important things that pertain to 
successful potato growing. In good, favorable sea¬ 
sons, most varieties will give tolerably fair yields; but 
the important thing is to plant kinds that can be de¬ 
pended upon to withstand drought. 
A few conclusions may be drawn from a comparison 
of last, and this year’s experience. Last year, but 
three varieties stood out against drought until rain 
came. These were the Rural No. 2, Early Maine and 
Empire State. The Rural No. 2 came nearest making 
a crop against circumstances that entirely ruined a 
dozen other varieties. Had it not been for this most 
excellent potato, many growers would not have made 
expenses out of their crops. 
At this date, July 28, the Rural No. 2 is as fresh and 
green as one month ago, after a refreshing rain, and 
the Early Maine beside it, is just as gritty. Two 
new varieties added this season, both croppers—the 
Banner and the New Queen—are standing the drought 
with remarkable vigor. 
Eight pounds of Carman No. 1 cut up very fine and 
planted early, were making rapid progress up to one 
week ago, when they began to show the effects of the 
heat and extreme dryness. This popular variety was 
secured at a high price by the owner, and sent 
here to be given an extra opportunity for a large 
yield, which they bade fair to do 10 days ago. Three 
varieties of seedlings, none of which are alike in form 
or growth, planted the same date as the Carman, are 
yet struggling fresh and green against a dismal fate 
unless rain revives them inside of a few days. 
Not one single variety of the Rose family out of six 
kinds, has stood out against the drought, but all have 
succumbed and the vines lie withered with the tubers 
not more than half grown, with one exception. The 
seed of this kind was furnished me last spring as Ten¬ 
nessee second crop, and it has furnished our table 
with potatoes for nearly six weeks, some of the largest 
being about the size of a goose egg. Success with this 
character of seed induces me to attempt them on a 
larger scale next year. 
One particular feature that calls for special mention 
to insure at least partial success when drought is ex¬ 
pected, is to select a variety that grows its tubers close 
to the parent stem. This may not hold good in all 
varieties, yet it will in most. An experiment this sea¬ 
son, tried on a new variety put out in limited quanti¬ 
ties, proves that such kinds are less liable to succumb 
to extreme drought. Growers must make better selec¬ 
tions if they expect to avoid loss during droughty 
seasons. geo. e. scott. 
Jefferson County, Ohio. 
[Every query must be accompanied by tbe name and address of the 
writer to Insure attention. Before asking a question please see If It Is 
not answered In our advertlslnR columns. Ask only a few questions at 
one time. Put questions on a separate piece of paper.] 
PRUNING THE SWEET POTATO. 
THE QUESTIONS. 
1. Does It make the sweet potato more productive, to prune the 
vines ? J. Will the rooting of the vines lessen the size of the tubers ? 
3. Is It a good plan to keep the vines from rooting and prune to within 
1J4 to 3 feet of the hill ? 4. Will the vines make good food for stock ? 
Keep Them From Rooting. 
1. No, not a particle, and this experience is in exact 
accordance with what we should expect, since the 
starch is formed in the leaves, and the surplus beyond 
the present needs of the plant, stored in the tuberous 
roots. An abundance of healthy foliage is necessary 
to the perfection of the roots. 2. Yes. This, too, is 
in exact accordance with the laws of vegetable 
physiology. With a multitude of underground storage 
places, the food stored up in the main roots would be 
lessened. 3. It is a good plan to keep them from root¬ 
ing by frequent moving, but a bad plan to prune at 
all. An over fertile soil, or, rather, a soil in which 
there is an excess of nitrogen, produces an excessive 
vine growth, because the plant uses the abundant 
food supply absorbed by its roots in the easiest way, 
and that is in making foliage. It would be far more 
sensible to prune the feeding roots, and give the plant 
a chance more fully to elaborate the food supply. 4. 
The vines make a valuable green food for cows and 
hogs, fed with good judgment. I do not think they 
can be successfully cured on a large scale ; but on this 
point I have not experimented sufficiently. 
In a general way, I would say that the sweet potato 
does best in a sandy soil, well supplied with phosphoric 
acid and potash, and without an excess of nitrogen. 
Long cultivation of sweet potatoes on the same spot, 
produces such an excess of organic matter from dead 
vines, that the growers say the land is potash-sick 
when it really is simply gorged with nitrogen, and 
will grow enormous crops of plants like corn above 
ground. There is more or less vine pruning here of 
the early set plants annually, for our growers raise 
their winter-keeping crop from cuttings of the vines 
in July. Pieces of the vine, set in hills at that time, 
grow readily, and the potatoes of this late crop keep 
better in winter. Last week, we were eating these in 
perfect condition. This week, we are eating the new 
crop. So the great value of the sweet potato in the 
South is easily seen. In this connection I would 
say that we have at last succeeded in getting cross¬ 
bred sweet potato seed, and have the seedlings grow¬ 
ing finely. Since seedling plants of any kind are more 
apt to produce seed than those long grown from divis¬ 
ions of the plant, there may be great possibilities in 
these seedlings for future improvement. 
[prof.] W. F. MASSEY. 
Let the Vines Alone. 
The general practice of growers in this locality is to 
disturb sweet potato vines only when necessary to 
properly cultivate the crop. Individual tests have 
been made covering queries 1, 2 and 3, but the experi¬ 
menters still adhere to the common practice. 
Gloucester County, N. J. n. r. b. 
The Culture in Georgia. 
1. In my experience it does not. Experiments re¬ 
sult irregularly, but the increased yield from pruning 
has never been sufficient to pay for the extra labor 
involved, even including the value of the pruned vines 
as stock feed ; the result is generally directly against 
pruning, or “ pinching,” as we term it. I would not 
advise it, though we are still conducting this experi¬ 
ment. 2. Measurably, under certain conditions. 
When the soil is highly nitrogenous, or in a very wet 
season, the vines, if undisturbed, will make, of course, 
a very rank and vigorous growth, but will, at the 
same time, root at every joint, and the tendency will 
be to small tubers. On the other hand, in a dry sea¬ 
son or on ordinary soils, there results no reduction in 
size of tubers from allowing the vines to remain un¬ 
disturbed ; in fact, quite the contrary. All vines, 
however, are more or less disturbed up to a late date 
in the season—into August, as a rule—by the ordi¬ 
nary process of cultivation; being “turned back,” 
periodically, for the purpose of plowing out the alter¬ 
nate middles, and then again reveised. Hence they 
seldom get a chance to begin rooting until late in the 
season, and it is this normal treatment that appears 
to produce the largest yields, irrespective of the eco¬ 
nomic result when the cost of loosening the vines is 
taken into consideration. We are also conducting 
this experiment. 3. Unless the land is very rich in 
humus, or the season abnormally wet, it will hardly 
pay to prune. In fact, it is more likely to prove in¬ 
jurious than beneficial in an ordinary season on aver¬ 
age land. 4. Yes; eaten green they are greatly 
relished, and our station dairyman reports excellent 
results. Ensiloed, they are said to become slimy, and 
I would not advise using them in that way. 
Horticulturist Ga Exp. Sta. hugh n starnes. 
Southern Jersey Methods. 
1. It is rather an injury to sweet potato vines to 
prune them. 2. Should the vines root very early in 
the season and not be loosened, some of the strength 
will go to root growth, thereby injuring the tubers. 3. 
Frequent cultivation until the vin^s are well grown 
and have to be laid by, will prevent all rooting, especi¬ 
ally where they are cross cultivated as they are here. 
I would not allow any vine pruning; later rooting 
will not hurt. 4. I consider the vines of no value as 
food for stock, and do not think stock would eat them 
to any extent. edw. g. brick. 
The Largest Grower in Alabama Prunes. 
1. My experience is that the sweet potato is much 
more productive when the vines are properly pruned 
than when they are not. When the vines are a foot 
or two long, and there are two or three to a hill, I 
cut one off to within five or six inches of the hill, and 
in a week or 10 days cut off another, and so on. 2. Be¬ 
fore answering this question, it may be well to under¬ 
stand that the office of the vine is to conduct water 
from the root to the leaf, where it is assimilated and 
enriched with what the leaf takes from the air and 
the sun, and goes back to nourish the root and in¬ 
crease its growth. When the vine becomes hard, the 
circulation ceases, and its usefulness is ended. Vines 
take root at the joint which hardens, and everything 
from the root or leaf stops at that point and nourishes 
the rootlets that have started there, and which never 
make potatoes of any size. 
As a further illustration, I may mention that many 
old farmers never use the first plants that come on 
the bed, considering them worthless, and for the 
reason that, having a long season to grow in, they 
make long vines which root here and there, cover the 
ground in a tangled mass and make nothing but 
strings. To test this, in the spring of 1893, I made a 
cold frame and set out 1,000 plants a month in advance 
of my neighbors, who were kind enough to tell me 
that they would make no potatoes. But I kept them 
well pruned until the middle of August, and made the 
finest potatoes that I ever made. As for other proof, 
in tropical climates, where the sweet potato grows 
the year ’round, and vines attain the length of 100 
feet, they make no potatoes that are worthy of the 
name. 3 and 4. It is. But after the crop is laid by, 
the vines may be permitted to run and cover the 
ground, as they shade it and keep down grass and 
weeds. At this writing, August 4, I have no vines a 
foot long, except on about an acre where they are 
one to two feet long. I am pruning them and feeding 
to my milch cows, and on them they are improving 
both in quantity and richness of their milk. They 
make splendid food for stock, but should be cut and 
well cured immediately after the first frost. If per¬ 
mitted to remain after a killing frost until it rains on 
them, they are worthless. In my main crop I have no 
vines a foot long, for the reason that I have used 
them to set out, and the last week in July I put out 
four wagon-loads of vines. c. c. i.. dill. 
Dillburgh, Ala. 
Clearing: Land with Dynamite. 
A. F. A., Claremont, Fa .—Will the man who wrote 
about clearing land with dynamite, please tell what 
brand he uses; also how large a charge it will take 
for pine stumps eight inches to one foot in diameter ? 
How long should the fuse be, so that I can estimate 
the amount of fuse to get with each pound of dyna¬ 
mite ? 
Ans. —I have used several brands of dynamite, and 
have had no trouble with any. But I am very careful 
not to buy any brand in which I find any of the nitro¬ 
glycerine leaked out of the absorbent. The kind last 
used, and which I now have for use soon, is The 
Miners’ Friend. It is 40 per cent nitro-glycerine, is in 
sticks 1^ inch in diameter and eight inches long, and 
each stick weighs one-third of a pound. It is made in 
sticks of different sizes, but this makes no difference 
as to its effectiveness. It is put up packed in saw¬ 
dust, 50 pounds, or 150 sticks, in a box, and costs by 
the box 12 cents per pound. The caps or exploders to 
be used on the end of the fuse, cost for a box of 100, 
$1, or one cent each. The fuse, common, costs 50 cents 
per coil of 100 feet; the waterproof, 75 cents for the 
same number of feet. As the waterproof is so much 
surer, and costs so little more for a single fuse, I much 
prefer it. I have found that about two feet of the 
waterproof will burn in a minute, so I can easily cal¬ 
culate how long to cut the fuses to enable me to get 
to a safe distance, In the open, where the view is 
unobstructed, it is not necessary to run so very far, 
as it is easy to dodge the flying fragments. 
