THE SWEET POTATO 289 



tion 



The sweet potato is a convolvulus with a trailing herba- Descriptic 



. , _ rr^. , c • ^ of the plant. 



ceous stem and purple flower. The stems are from six to 

 eight feet long, sending out roots at every node that rests on 

 the ground. The original roots, and those sent out from the 

 stems bear many tubers— one plant yielding sometimes as 

 many as forty or fifty potatoes of various sizes. The tubers, The tubers. 

 in rich soil, grow to a very large size. They usually weigh 

 from three to twelve pounds each when they are fully grown, 

 but it is stated that in Java they have attained to the enor- 

 mous weight of fifty pounds. 



There are several varieties, varying in size, shape and flavour Varieties. 

 of the tubers. The two principal kinds, however, are the white 

 and the red potatoes. The white variety has a round entire 

 leaf \ and, in the red one, the leaves are divided into lobes. 



Soil and Climate.— The best soil is a light friable one. The best 

 with but little clay in its composition. It should be so well 

 drained as to be rather dry, and to produce large crops it 

 must be enriched with vegetable matter. The climate must Climate. 

 be a warm one, and, although the plant will grow in the 

 mountains, up to considerable elevations, it thrives best in 

 the hot lowlands, and a saline atmosphere is not inimical to 

 it. 



Cultivation. — Plants are propagated by cuttings of the Cuttings. 

 stems. The cuttings should be about twelve inches long, and 

 about half of their length is buried in the soil. They readily 

 take root, even in dry weather, and once having rooted they 

 grow vigorously. The land must be well ploughed, or dug 

 up with the hoe, all grass and weeds being turned into the 

 soil, so as to rot and serve as a green crop manure. The a good tilth 

 more the soil is worked up by the plough, hoe or spade, the "^^^^sary. 

 better will be the returns. The land is then to be ridged, 

 which may be accomplished by the plough or hoe, the ridges 

 being at a distance of two feet from each other. The potato Distances, 

 cuttings are then set in the ridges a foot apart, and this will 

 give an area of two square feet for each plant. As soon as 



U 



