Growing Sweet Potatoes in the North 



While the sweet potato is generally regarded as a south- 

 ern crop, it is grown with great success in many places 

 in the north. The Island of Muscatine in the Mississippi 

 River is largely given up to sweet potatoes and melons. 

 The former do well in any light, sandy soil, where the 

 season is not too short. 



Miss Gertrude Coburn, teacher of domestic science in 

 the University of Iowa, has collected some valuable data 

 regarding the table merit of the different kinds of sweet 

 potatoes grown in the north. Mr. Theodore Williams, 

 of Benson, Neb., and F. D. Wells, a Michigan grower, 

 have been successful in the cultivation of the potato ; and 

 the results of the work of these investigators are briefly 

 summarized here. 



In Miss Coburn's investigations the soil on which the 

 crop was grown was not rich, having previously grown 

 nursery stock. It was not manured, but thoroughly pre- 

 pared. Mr. Wells says that the soil best suited to sweet 

 potatoes is a warm, moderately rich sand. If it is too rich 

 there will be excessive growth of top at the expense of 

 the root. Before planting, the surface of the ground 

 should be ridged, and the plants set in the usual way 

 about the first week in June. 



The most common way to grow the plants is in a hot- 

 bed. After the first heated period is over, the tubers are 

 placed quite closely together, but not touching, and 

 covered with manure ; they are then covered with three 

 inches of soil, the bed covered with glass and watered as 

 often as necessary. 



106 



