92 ESCULENT ROOTS. 



occurrence. The latter are, however, never employed in 

 ordinary culture ; and are sown only for the production of 

 new varieties, as is sometimes practised with the common 

 potato. 



Soil, Planting, and Cultivation. In warm climates, the 

 Sweet Potato is cultivated in much the same manner as 

 the common potato is treated at the North. It succeeds best 

 in light, warm, mellow soil, which should be deeply stirred 

 and well enriched. The slips, or sprouts, may be set on 

 ridges four feet apart, and fifteen inches from plant to plant ; 

 or in hills four or five feet apart in each direction, three 

 plants being allowed to a hill. During the summer give the 

 vines ordinary culture ; and late in September, or early in 

 October, the tubers will have attained their growth, and be 

 ready for harvesting. The slips or sprouts are generally 

 obtained by setting the tubers in a hot-bed in March or April, 

 and breaking off or separating the sprouts from the tubers 

 as they reach four or five inches in height, or attain a 

 suitable size for transplanting. In favorable seasons the 

 plucking may be repeated three or four times. In setting out 

 the slips the lower part should be sunk from one third to 

 one half the entire length ; and, if very dry weather occurs, 

 water should be moderately applied. 



Keeping. The essentials for the preservation of Sweet 

 Potatoes are dry ness and a warm and even temperature. 

 Where these conditions are not supplied, the tubers speedily 

 decay. By packing in dry sand, and storing in a warm, dry 

 room, they are sometimes preserved in the Northern States 

 until the time of starting the plants in spring. 



Varieties. Though numerous other varieties, less marked 

 and distinctive, are described by different authors, and are 

 catalogued by gardeners and seedsmen, the principal are as 

 follow : 



