222 Gardening 



The stems trail over the ground and take up so much 

 space that the crop is not well suited to gardens of small 

 area. It is, however, an important crop in many of the 

 large-sized home vegetable gardens of the South. 



The sweet potato thrives in a warm, sandy, and well- 

 drained soil. Little rainfall is needed after the growth 

 is well under way ; in this requirement it differs from 

 the other root crops we have discussed. 



The sweet potato plant is propagated by " slips " or 

 " draws." Roots are placed about 4 inches deep in 

 sand or soil in flats, or directly in the soil of hotbeds, and 

 kept moist and warm. Many shoots or draws develop 

 from an old root, and these in turn develop roots and 

 form young plants suitable for transplanting into the 

 garden in about 5 weeks. 



In the South cuttings are taken from the vines of 

 growing plants and used as plants for later plantings. 

 The crop is grown in rows, and the plants are most often 

 set on low ridges ; but on sandy soils flat culture is used. 



The roots should be dug before severe frosts occur. 

 They should be allowed to dry in the sunlight for several 

 hours, and then be placed loosely in baskets or slatted 

 crates and dried or cured in a warm room (beside a 

 kitchen stove or furnace will do) for a period of about 

 10 days. They may then be stored in a dry place 

 where the temperature does not go below 50. The 

 roots should be handled carefully, as they soon rot if 

 bruised. 



Unless local conditions are found to be unfavorable 

 for certain of the root crops, or the family tastes reject 



