218 TRUCK-FARMING AT THE SOUTH. 



notched dibble (figure 60). The vine is fixed about 

 its middle in the notch, thus making, as it were, a 

 double cutting. If vines are scarce, single cuttings may 

 be made of four or five joints, the lower three leaves 

 being cut away. These may be planted with a com- 

 mon dibble. 



The cultivation is the same as before. The seed may 

 be preserved in a dry cellar, but is usually put up in po- 

 tato banks. The surface in a dry situation 

 is leveled and covered to the depth of four 

 of five irfches, with dry pine straw; the po- 

 tatoes are placed upon this, storing not 

 more than fifteen or twenty bushels in each 

 bank. Pile them in as sharp a cone as pos- 

 sible, and cover first with pine straw, then 

 closely with corn stalks, in order to shed 

 Fig. 60. SWEET- tne ra j ns an( j finally with five or six inches 



POTATO DIBBLE. ' . ? 



of soil. This covering will absorb the mois- 

 ture which escapes from the potatoes, but large banks 

 should be provided with a ventilating hole at the top, 

 the admission of rain water being prevented by a cover. 



INSECTS. 



The insects that attack the sweet-potato are: 



First. Haltica cucumeris, (Cucumber Flea-beetle). 



Second. Sphinx cingulata, (Sweet-potato-moth). 



Third Cassida bivittata, (Two-striped Tortoise-beetle). 



Fourth. Cassida aurichakea, (Golden Tortoise-beetle). 



Fifth. Cassida guttata, (Mottled Tortoise-beetle). 



Sixth Cassida nigripes,( Black-legged Tortoise-beetle). 



Seventh. Chelymorpha cassidea. 



The first-named and smallest of these (described under 

 "Cucumber") is the most injurious, attacking the few 

 leaves of the young plants as soon as they are put out. 

 The remedy for the flea-beetles, dusting with lime, soot, 

 or Paris green if very abundant, may be resorted to. 



