An Essay on Sweet Potatoes

I am tired of  concerning myself with personal problems and the nation's problems. I can't do anything about either one, so I am going to write about something pleasant -- sweet potatoes.  When I was a child planting sweet potatoes was a job for the entire family.  The rows  had been prepared earlier, fertilized with cotton seed meal instead of a commercial fertilizer.  Planting would come on a cool evening following a shower that settled the ground.  First would be pulling potato plants, called slips, which grew from potatoes that had been bedded earlier in the spring.  A horse would be used to pull a slide loaded with a tub of water.  One person would drop the slips on the row; another would used a notched stick to push the slips into the ground.  Then came the children's part; using a dipper water would  be scooped from the tub and each plant would receive a dipper of water. Children would plead to be allowed to use the stick to push a plant into the ground, ending with some slips planted in the middle and others near the tops.  It might seem strange today, but it was a fun occasion as the entire family worked together.

Most of my time growing sweet potatoes, we probably planted Porto Rico Unit One.  Dr. Julian C. Miller, who taught sweet potatoes to bloom so new varieties could be developed,  introduced Goldrush in 1951, and it was Louisiana's main variety for three decades.  Centennial was developed in 1960, and by 1970, every one of the 5500 acres planted to commercial sweet potatoes in Louisiana was Centennial.  It was the variety for 80 per cent of the nation  and was the favorite in other countries.

Forty acres of the highest land near University Lake became the Hill Farm and the site of many horticultural breakthroughs, as LSU set the standard for the United States.  Improved varieties of Irish potatoes include the  LaSoda and the LaChipper.  Dr. Miller and his associates developed 9 varieties of sweet potatoes, 7 of Irish potatoes, 4 of strawberries and snapbeans, 3 each of hot peppers and tomatoes, 2 each of okra, Southern peas and cabbage, l each of  onions, peaches, pumpkin, collards, carrots and squash. Those new and improved varieties meant millions  for farmers.