CULTUllE AND MANAGEMENT. 63 



with a wooden shovel in the other hand. These imple- 

 ments do away with the back-breaking business of setting 

 the plants by hand in the ordinary way. 



The ground should be moist at the time of planting ; 

 therefore, just previous to, or after, a rain is a favorable 

 season. Growers generally agree that the roots of the 

 plants ought to be wet ; some water them, others prefer 

 puddling or grouting the roots. From eight to ten 

 thousand plants are required to set an acre. Row plant- 

 ing requires a larger number of plants than does hill 

 culture. 



About ten days or a fortnight after setting the plants, 

 go over the ground and replant where for any reason the 

 first setting has been destroyed ; cultivate during the 

 summer and keep the ground free from weeds. Northern 

 cultivators find it necessary to prevent the points of long 

 vines from rooting down, for wherever those roots start 

 a large number of potatoes will set. These (at the North) 

 not only fail to gain a serviceable size, but they rob the 

 hills of nutriment and productive power. 



There are but few varieties of the sweet potato. Of 

 these the Yellow and Red Nansemond are most extensively 

 grown. The "Early Peabody" is favorably known to 

 some of our Northern growers. The "Early Golden," a 

 new early sweet potato, originated in Virginia, and a 

 sport of the old "Early Red," is well spoken of by culti- 

 vators who have tried it. It is claimed that it is early, 

 productive, and of pleasing quality. A well-known and 

 much-cultivated sweet potato at the South is the "Yel- 

 low Yam ; " the "Pumpkin Yam " is also popular, though 

 not so sweet as the first named. Other well-known sorts 

 are " Hayti Yam" or " Musgrove ;" "Nigger Killer," 

 a very prolific variety ; " Spanish Potato," and " Brazil- 

 ian Yam." At the South there is no such thing as buy- 

 ing and selling potato plants. Farmers with one accord 

 save their own seed. When they desire to plant slips 



