222 Gardening 
The stems trail over the ground and take up so much 
space that the crop is not well suited to gardens of small 
area. It is, however, an important crop in many of the 
large-sized home vegetable gardens of the South. 
The sweet potato thrives in a warm, sandy, and well- 
drained soil. Little rainfall is needed after the growth 
is well under way; in this requirement it differs from 
the other root crops we have discussed. 
The sweet potato plant is propagated by “ slips ” or 
“draws.”’ Roots are placed about 4 inches deep in 
sand or soil in flats, or directly in the soil of hotbeds, and 
kept moist and warm. Many shoots or draws develop 
from an old root, and these in turn develop roots and 
form young plants suitable for transplanting into the 
garden in about 5 weeks. 
In the South cuttings are taken from the vines of 
growing plants and used as plants for later plantings. 
The crop is grown in rows, and the plants are most often 
set on low ridges; but on sandy soils flat culture is used. 
The roots should be dug before severe frosts occur. 
They should be allowed to dry in the sunlight for several 
hours, and then be placed loosely in baskets or slatted 
crates and dried or cured in a warm room (beside a 
kitchen stove or furnace will do) for a period of about 
1o days. They may then be stored in a dry place 
where the temperature does not go below 50°. The 
roots should be handled carefully, as they soon rot if 
bruised. 
Unless local conditions are found to be unfavorable 
for certain of the root crops, or the family tastes reject 
