74 The Sweet Potato 



chill in moving from storage to the newly prepared bed. 

 For convenience, burlap-lined baskets should be used 

 and bedding is preferably done on a vv^arm bright day. 

 The seed should be carefully examined for disease and 

 all suspicious tubers discarded. All the seed should 

 receive the corrosive sublimate treatment already de- 

 scribed. (Page 61.) After draining, the tubers are 

 carefully laid by hand as closely together on the bed 

 surface as possible v^ithout having them touch. (Plate 

 I.) If the potatoes are crowded in the bed, dis- 

 ease may be spread from one tuber to another and the 

 sprouts will be so crowded that long spindling plants 

 will be produced. If unusually large roots are em- 

 ployed for seed, they may be split lengthwise and placed 

 with the cut side down in the bed. Many growers have 

 found that a thin layer of pine needles placed over the 

 potatoes before the sand is applied aids materially in 

 holding the tubers in place when the plants are pulled. 

 Only part of the top sand should be applied when 

 bedded, for if the tubers are covered too deeply some 

 rotting may result. Ordinarily about 2 inchg3_ of sand 

 is applied when beddai_ and an additionaT~inch put o n 

 'after the shoots appear. The covering sand should be 

 evenly~~dtstrrbtit'ed7 carefully smoothed and lightly 

 packed by planking. Only clean fresh sand should be 

 employed. As has been stated, sand is as good as rich 

 soil for the sprouts come from the material stored in 

 the potato. However, the use of sawdust should be 

 avoided. After the bed has been completed, it should 

 at once be wet thoroughly with a fine spray from the 

 hose or witih a sprinkling-can. 



