244 THE PEOPLES FARM AND STOCK CYCLOPEDIA. 



be left sharp and high, so that when you come to set the plants, 

 you can brush off three or four inches of. the top and set them 

 in fresh earth. Do not water, but instead puddle the roots 

 before planting. For this purpose use a mixture of equal 

 parts fresh cow dung and fine mold, stirred till of such a con- 

 sistency that when the roots are dipped in it they will be 

 thickly coated. This is much better than watering, as the 

 plants are fertilized and a good start given them by the mix- 

 ture, and if set out on a cloudy day or toward night, they will 

 not wilt at all. 



Great care must be taken in setting out, to have the earth 

 well firmed about the roots, and then there should be loose 

 earth drawn up to the plant. There are millions of plants lost 

 every year from neglecting to press the soil to the roots. To 

 determine whether the plants are being set firmly enough, try 

 a plant now and then by taking the leaf between the thumb and 

 finger, and giving a quick jerk. If the plant is properly set, a 

 piece of the leaf will break off; but if the plant pulls up by the 

 root, you may know the ground is not being sufficiently firmed. 

 No vegetable bears transplanting better than the sweet potato, 

 and if the plants are set as fast as taken from the bed and man- 

 aged as above recommended, there will ordinarily be a very 

 small percentage of loss. 



Let the cultivation begin early and be thorough. Hoeing 

 will be necessary, and a narrow cultivator should be run between 

 the rows to loosen a little earth to be drawn up to the plants. 

 I think it an advantage to throw the vines over so as to leave 

 every other space bare. This allows the sun to warm the row 

 better, and saves trouble when you dig. 



The potatoes can be plowed out; but I prefer to dig with 

 the potato hook, and by taking a little pains, all the vines can 

 be buried, if they have been kept between alternate rows. The 

 potatoes grow in a clump, and a single stroke with the potato 

 hook will usually dig a hill. I do not think sweet potatoes a 

 wholesome article of diet until they are fully matured; but 

 then I consider them as healthy as the common potato, and far 

 more nutritious. 



