How to Grow Sweet Potatoes 141 



which performs no such functions, but is put forth for 

 the sole purpose of making the tuber. 



The sweet potato blooms under favorable conditions, 

 but produces no seed. It is propagated from tuberous 

 roots and vine cuttings. The roots are bedded on a warm 

 exposure, as follows: The soil is trenched out four feet 

 wide and as long as necessary to receive the quantity to 

 be bedded. The trenches should be four inches deep and 

 filled with unfermented manure, over which soil should 

 be spread to the depth of two inches. On this place the 

 potatoes, and press each separately into the porous soil, 

 using only perfectly sound potatoes. Do not allow them 

 to touch each other. Spread evenly over them a porous 

 soil four inches deep. Above this spread clean straw 

 just thick enough to prevent the surface from washing 

 or baking when watered or after a heavy rain. Watch 

 closely, and when the first plants begin to appear, rake 

 off the straw and stir lightly the soil enough to destroy 

 all young grass or weeds. If necessary, sprinkle the bed 

 from the rose of a watering-pot, going over twice to 

 give time for the first to be absorbed before the second 

 is applied. Do this late in the afternoon. The potatoes 

 may be bedded the last of March or early in April, 

 according to the advancement of the season or the 

 latitude. Further north it is necessary to forward the 

 plants in hotbeds or coldframes, but this is not necessary 

 in the cotton belt. 



Prepare the land thoroughly before the plants are 

 ready. Open deep furrows three to three and one -half 

 feet apart, and apply the fertilizer in these at the rate of 

 300 pounds of acid phosphate, 300 pounds of kainit and 



