SWEET POTATOES 



255 



Propagation. — The usual way of propagating sweet potatoes is 

 to place a single layer of medium-sized tubers in a hotbed, and cover 

 them with four or five inches of soil or sand. The tubers are placed 

 about half an inch apart, so that if rot starts it cannot readily 

 spread from one tuber to another. This bedding of the seed 

 tubers is done from four to six weeks before the plants are wanted 

 for setting in the field. From three to five bushels of seed tubers 

 are l^edded for each acre to be planted. The hotbed is cared for 

 in the usual manner as to watering and ventilating. 



A large number of sweet potato plants, called '^ slips " or 

 " draws," develop from each tuber. When these have attained 

 a height of from four to eight inches above the surface of the bed, 

 and the season for planting has arrived, they are carefully pulled 



Fig. 157. — A few rows of sweet potatoes grown for home use. 



Each row is on a ridge. 





in such a manner as to avoid disturbing the tubers; for if left 

 undisturbed the tubers will continue to produce plants, which 

 may be used for replanting if necessary or for planting additional 

 fields. 



Planting. — The land for planting sweet potatoes should be 

 plowed early and worked repeatedly so as to have it in good 

 friable condition when the planting is to be done. Just before 

 planting, the ground should be compacted by rolling, then thrown 

 up into narrow ridges about three feet apart, by means of a plow 

 or a " sweep " (Fig. 158). These ridges are then smoothed and 

 somewhat compacted by means of a home-made tool designed 

 especially for the purpose (Fig. 159). The plants are usuaDy 



