218 TRUCK-FARMING AT THE SOUTH. 



notched dibble (figure 60). The vine is fixed about 

 its middle in the notch, thus making, as it were, a 

 double cutting. If vines are scarce, single cuttings may 

 be made of four or five joints, the lower three leaves 

 being cut away. These may be planted with a com- 

 mon dibble. 



The cultivation is the same as before. The seed may 

 be preserved in a dry cellar, but is usually put up in po- 

 tato banks. The surface in a dry situation 

 is leveled and covered to the depth of four 

 of five inches, with dry pine straw; the po- 

 tatoes are placed upon this, storing not 

 more than fifteen or twenty bushels in each 

 bank. Pile them in as sharp a cone as pos- 

 sible, and cover first with pine straw, then 

 closely with corn stalks, in order to shed 

 Fig. 60. SWEET- -j-h e rains and finally with five or six inches 



POTATO DIBBLE. ' / . 



of soil. This covering will absorb the mois- 

 ture which escapes from the potatoes, but large banks 

 should be provided with a ventilating hole at the top, 

 the admission of rain water being prevented by a cover. 



INSECTS. 



The insects that attack the sweet-potato are: 



First. Haltica cucumeris, (Cucumber Flea-beetle). 



Second. Sphinx cingulata, (Sweet-potato-moth). 



Third Cassida Uvittata, (Two-striped Tortoise-beetle). 



Fourth. Cassida aurichalcea, (Golden Tortoise-beetle). 



Fifth. Cassida guttata, (Mottled Tortoise-beetle). 



Sixth Cassida nigripes,( Black-legged Tortoise-beetle). 



Seventh. Chelymorpha cassidea. 



The first-named and smallest of these (described under 

 " Cucumber") is the most injurious, attacking the few 

 leaves of the young plants as soon as they are put out. 

 The remedy for the flea-beetles, dusting with lime, soot, 

 or Paris green if very abundant, may be resorted, to. 



