SOILS FOR SWEET POTATOES 447 



is followed to some extent in the South. The usual plan is 

 to start the plants in a bed of warm soil or in a hotbed and 

 remove the plants for setting in the field as they become 

 large enough. As the roots continue to send up shoots for 

 some time, a comparatively small number will produce 

 sprouts enough for a considerable area. A half-bushel of 

 seed will supply 1,000 good plants at the first pulling. The 

 best plants are usually produced in a moderate hotbed, from 

 roots buried about 3 inches deep in leaf mold or rather loose 

 earth. Before setting in the field, the plants should be pulled 

 carefully from the bed and bunched in baskets or boxes. 

 They will keep much better if they are "puddled" by dipping 

 the roots in a thin mud of clay and water, but the tops of 

 the plants should be kept dry. Sweet potatoes may also be 

 propagated from cuttings of the vines, which root readily. 

 If only a few plants are wanted for home use, it is often easier 

 and cheaper to buy the plants than to grow them. 



587. Preparation of the Soil. The right type of soil for 

 sweet potatoes is easily prepared, It should be plowed some 

 time previous to give it time to settle, and disked and har- 

 rowed sufficiently to put it in good tilth. As good drainage 

 is essential to success, ridge culture is practiced if the land 

 is not naturally well drained. Planting on flat or unridged 

 land is less expensive and just as satisfactory unless drainage 

 is needed. The ridges, which should be 3J/2 or 4 feet apart, 

 may be made by throwing furrows together with a plow. 

 This should be done long enough before planting to allow 

 the land to become firm again. Just before the plants are 

 set, a light harrowing will put the land in good condition. 

 It should then be gone over with a marker which indicates 

 the rows (if the land is not ridged), and the distances at 

 which the plants should be set in the row. For level culture, 

 the plants are usually set about 2 feet apart each way, though 



