PEEPAKATION OF THE SOIL. 31 



by throwing up two more turning-plow furrows ; open 

 this with a narrow ripper, and set your slips from eigh- 

 teen to twenty inches apart." 



CHAPTER VIII. 

 PREPARATION OF THE SOIL. 



Success with the Sweet Potato, as with all other root 

 crops, depends not only on proper soil, but mainly on 

 its preparal^ion and the after culture. Light, sandy, 

 or slaty soils, if these are well drained, naturally or arti- 

 ficially, need not be very deeply stirred ; but other or 

 heavy soils should be broken deeply. This, in such 

 soils, not only aids in drainage, but also in warmth, the 

 two most important requisites with the Sweet Potato. 

 These soils sliould be fallowed in the fall, and they should 

 be replowed in the spring. All soils should be well har- 

 rowed and pulverized just previous to ridging or laying 

 off for planting. 



Mr. William F. Massey, a most valuable correspondent 

 of the "American Farmer" (Baltimore), says : *'In pre- 

 paring for the Sweet Potato crop, select a piece of light 

 soil that has been in a hoed crop the previous season ; 

 plow it not deeper than three inches ; harrow and roll, 

 and, with the plow, throw the soil into shallow ridges 

 three feet apart. Flatten the tops of the ridges with a 

 light hand-roller, and set the plants a foot apart (most 

 planters set from fourteen to eighteen inches apart). 

 The s^^bsequent cultivation consists of one ' bar-plowing ' 

 and twice ridging with the plow." 



For a more Northern latitude, including New Jersey, 

 the following are the preparatory steps for planting : In 



