INDIANA FARMER.
Devoted to Agriculture* Horticultures'Ucchanics and the  TJacful Art*.
"■^^."ed^J^"''1!    RICHMOND, MAY 1,1855.    \m$lW&^ »&.*%.
CULTURE OF THE SWEET POTATO.
There is no other vegetable, if we except
the Irish Potato, which deserve a more general cultivation and which better pays for the
labor it requires, than the Sweet Potato, and
yet how many farmers almost entirely neglect
it. It is true that certain kinds of soils will
not produce enough of this delicious vegetable to justify its cultivation, but there are
hardly any farms where a spot cannot be
found that will yield an ordinary crop. It requires but little more labor for its cultivation
than the Irish Potato, and is certainly much
more delicious, and is worth double as much
in market. Let us take an example. Last
year we planted a small patch of about 12
square rods, on which was set some 500
plants. These cost §1 00. The plowing,
harrowing and ridging up might all have been
done in half a day which would be worth
$1 00 more. The setting out, and after culture could not have been worth more than
§1 00. The digging would be worth 75cts.,
making in all only 83 75. There were at
least 15 bushels of potatoes worth at the
lowest rate as many dollars. Suppose the
cost of cultivation was 85 00 which is certainly high enough, and we have a crop worth
at least three times the cost of its cultivation.
The kind of toil best adapted to the growth
of the sweet potato is a yellow sandy or
gravelly loam, though our common clay if not
too wet and tenacious, will answer nearly as
ve]\—a black loam should be avoided as the
crop runs to vines. If not already deep and
rich it should be made so by deep plowing
and manuring with well rotted stable manure.
It may be too rich but this is not common.—
One plowing and harrowing, if the ground is
in good condition, will answer. Then with
two horses and a large plow throw it into
ridges about three and a half feet from centre to centre. A good dexterous hand with a
steady team, will, with but two furrows to the
ridge, leave but little for the hoe to do previous to setting the plants. Leave the ridges
a little rouo-h, they are none the worse of it,
and it saves labor. Dont get long legged
plants, but short spreading ones with good
roots.    Set them from 16 to 18 inches apart.
It is best to set them just before a shower,
but if this is not likely to come, proceed in
this way : make a hole in the ridge with the
hand into which place the plant taking care to
put the fibrous roots as deep into the ridge as
you can. Fill up with mellow earth and pour
on near a pint of water, after this settles
away, sprinkle on a little more fine dirt to
keep the ground from baking. If the weather is very dry and hot they should be shaded
with dock or other green leaves, and watered
each morning and evening for a day or two.'
Keep them clean with the hoe and plow; little
hilling up is necessary, if the ridges hare
been properly made. It will be seen that we
plant in ridges, not hills. They are much the
easiest made, will admit of more plants to a
given amount of ground, and are easier tended. Moles can be caught by traps, or otherwise as well between ridges as hills. The
Sweet Potato will stand a drouth better than
any other crop.
■ «e» i
CAN THE SOIL BE  MADE TOO  LOOSE
AND   POROUS!
It is the prevailing, perhaps the universal
opinion, that in order to realize the largest
crop possible from a given amount of ground
it must be completely pulverized, and by repeated plowing, made as loose and mellow as
possible. This is doubtless a correct theory,
and one which it would be well for us all
more generally to act upon; and yet, we are
fully convinced there are exceptions to the
rule and perhaps more than the superficial observer will be ready to admit. Our own experience has been mostly confined to clay soils
with which the great difficulty is to make and
keep them in a sufficiently loose condition for
the free circulation of air, and the easy penetration of the roots of plants. Yet even instances have fallen under our observation,
where the ground was not sufficiently compact to retain moisture and allow the roots of
the young plants to take a proper hold. If it
is true that ground may be too hard to retain
moisture in time of drouth, it is doubtless as
true that it may be too loose and mellow.-—
This is particularly the case when moles are
bad.   Who has not noticed that on a spot of