USES OF SWEET POTATOES 449 



carried to the packing shed for grading. Those which are to 

 be shipped some distance are generally packed in ventilated 

 barrels, while those which are marketed near by are sold in 

 baskets or crates. For winter storage, a dry room or cellar 

 maintaining a temperature of 35 F. is best. 



591. Uses. Sweet potatoes are ordinarily used as food 

 for man, and may be prepared for the table in many ways. 

 They form one of the principal articles of food throughout 

 the South, where they are much more generally used than 

 are white or Irish potatoes. The vines have some slight 

 value as feed for stock, and some of the coarser varieties of 

 potatoes are grown for feeding to hogs and other animals. 

 When these varieties are grown for hog pasture, they are not 

 dug, but the hogs are turned in and allowed to root out the 

 potatoes. While they grow well on this food, the hogs must 

 be given some corn in order to fatten them. 



LABORATORY EXERCISES 



1. Secure at least 100 potatoes of some standard variety and select 

 from them the 10 that most nearly represent the variety. Pay special 

 attention to the potatoes that show signs of running out as indicated 

 by elongation and pinching up of the seed end, and compare these with 

 the ones selected. 



2. If possible, secure a sample of potatoes affected by internal 

 brown rot. Cut open several tubers to become familiar with the effect 

 of the disease and to learn to identify it. 



3. Secure 10 pounds of medium-sized, smooth, shallow-eyed pota- 

 toes, and 10 pounds of rough, deep-eyed potatoes. Carefully pare both 

 samples, noting the time required and the appearance. Weigh the 

 pared potatoes of each sample. What was the percentage of waste in 

 each and what was the difference in time required to peel the two 

 samples? 



4. Dig 100 hills of potatoes in a field where all hills had as nearly 

 uniform conditions as possible. Note the weight, uniformity, character, 

 and proportion of marketable tubers in each hill. What would be the 



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