7G SWEET POTATO CULTURE. 



If the soil requires food, they run a furrow each way as 

 above, and at tlie intersection of the rows a sliovelful of 

 manure is put in the places. The manure is sometimes fine 

 woods earth mixed with ashes, or, if this cannot be had, 

 any rich soil well mixed with stable manure is employed. 

 The manure being in place, the loose soil around is 

 pulled up with the weeding-hoe, so as to form a hill on 

 tlie manure. "When ready to plant, the tops of these 

 hills are cut off with a weeding-hoe, and the plants are 

 set in the center of these flattened tops. It is claimed 

 for this mode that it requires less labor, and some farm- 

 ers think produces larger crops. The after culture, it is 

 said, is also less difficult. 



The ground should be moist at the time of planting. 

 Therefore, just after a moderate rain is a favorable sea- 

 son. The roots of the plants at time of setting, at all 

 events, must be wet. Therefore, puddling should be re- 

 sorted to when planting time comes witiiout showery 

 weather. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 



THE VALUE OF THE SWEET POTATO. 



The editor of the " Charleston News " gives his estimate 

 of the sweet potato and his views as to the future of this 

 most eatable, delicious and valuable of all root crops as 

 follows. He says: " We have always been of opinion that 

 the great value of the sweet potato crop in the Southern 

 States and elsewhere was not duly appreciated and suf- 

 ficiently utilized. Root crops are always more prolific 

 than grain crops. They exhaust the land less and give 

 more in return for labor and manure. Of course they 

 arc not as nutritious, pound for pound, as grain, but iii 



