16 SWEET POTATO CULTURE. 



a person of the above name, at Savannah, Georgia, chiefly 

 for export to England, for the British army. 



The process was similar to that which is well known in 

 Europe, for procuring flour of the common or Irish 

 potato, viz : by grating the clean roots, washing the mass 

 through brass sieves of different sizes, and collecting the 

 starch at the bottom of the vessel which receives the 

 fluid; finally it is dried on pans, either in the sun or by 

 other means. 



The late much lamented Dr. G. W. Briggs, of Nanse- 

 mond Co., Va., who was a popular horticultural writer 

 and farmer, furnished "■ The American Farmer " the fol- 

 lowing appreciation of the Sweet Potato : 



*' One of the most valuable and useful crops grown on 

 the farm for family use; in March, April, and May, when 

 other vegetables are scarce, this is the vegetable indis- 

 pensable. We make of it potato custards, Sweet Potato 

 pies, spiced with wine sauce, potato pudding, and boiled 

 entire, peeled and sliced, a la Yankee style, (dressed with 

 butter, but no salt, if you please), it is an excellent dish. 

 With us the universal custom is to bake slowly and long, 

 putting them on for dinner soon after breakfast, and 

 sending them to the table hot and in their own skins ; 

 peeled and dressed with butter, or gravy from the roast 

 fowl, few persons will reject them. 



" In the exhausting diarrhoea of teething children 

 during the summer, our people use and find roasted 

 Sweet Potatoes an excellent food and a remedy for this 

 disease in their little ones." We think this of great 

 value, and should be widely known, as it suffices both 

 for food and medicine. 



*' Sliced and dried, they may be sent on long sea voy- 

 ages, or ground into flour, make excellent bread. AVe 

 have seen it used to cheapen wheat flour, the boiled po- 

 tatoes being mixed with it for bread and biscuit. 



*' The first digging, for family use in summer, should 



