109 TUBER 



^"^ CROPS 



SWEET POTATOES, 



The common or Irish potato does badly in 

 the South, except as an early crop, because the 

 climate is too warm, but where the common 

 potato suffers, the sweet potato thrives. It 

 requires a warm, sunny climate, a long season, 

 and warm, loose soil, with plenty of moisture 

 during growing time, and less during ripening. 

 It is very tender and cannot stand frost. It is 

 grown extensively as far north as the sandy 

 lands of New Jersey. 



The soil must be rich, loose, and well drained 

 and liberally fertilized with well-rotted manure. 

 Wood ashes will help the growth of the tuber 

 most satisfactorily. 



Only one variety of sweet potato, the Spanish, 

 is cut and planted like the common potato. 

 All other varieties are grown from " slips," or, 

 as they are sometimes called, "draws." A 

 whole potato is laid on a hot-bed and covered 

 with a couple of inches of loose soil or leaf- 

 mould. Very soon it begins to sprout and 

 when the shoots are from three to five inches 

 high, they are broken off next the tuber, and 

 planted. Their roots have already begun to 

 form and these are the "slips." The same 

 potato or tuber, will give another set of slips if 

 allowed to remain in the ground. In the ex- 



