76 The Sweet Potato 



moved about once a week, the watering being done by 

 sprinkling on top of the cloth. These coverings are so 

 thin that considerable sunlight is given the plants with- 

 out moving the cover. In these warm sections, this 

 practice seems satisfactory although the cloth covers 

 seldom last more than one season. If good canvas is 

 used and properly oiled and cared for, it may last sev- 

 eral years and makes a suitable covering even for the 

 hotbeds as far north as Virginia. 



Glazed hotbed sa^h are more commonly used as cover- 

 ings in the northern part of the sweet potato district, 

 for both manure and fire-heated beds. The regular 

 3X6 foot sash is commonly employed. A cheap home^ 

 made sash is sometimes built by the use of scrap glass 

 and suitable strips of lumber. Johnson and Eosa ^ de- 

 scribe these home-made sash as having, " six rows of 

 small panes of glass, supported on wide strips. These 

 obstruct a large part of the light, which, however, is not 

 a serious objection with sweet potatoes. These sash are 

 cheap and if well made answer the purpose." Sash, 

 when used, should slope toward the south or east, if the 

 greatest benefit is to be derived from the sunlight. If 

 carefully handled to avoid breakage and the wooden parts 

 are painted each year, hotbed sash will last for many 

 seasons and will in the end prove to be cheaper than 

 cloth coverings. As they are always useful in any gar- 

 den for producing all kinds of young plants early in the 

 season, sash are perhaps the most popular among grow- 

 ers for the sweet potato plant-bed. 



A board covering is sometimes used but because of the 

 difficulty involved in handling and its inability to admit 

 sunlight, it is undesirable. 



1 Bull. 19, Va. Truck Exp. gta., page 396. 



