For the Southern States. 59 
THE SWEET POTATO. 
OConvolvulus batatas. 
The Sweet Potato is next to corn the most important food crop in 
the South. They are a wholesome and nutritious diet, good for man 
and beast. Though cultivated to a limited extent on the sandy lands | 
of New Jersey and some of the middle States, it thrives best on the 
light rich lands of the South, which bring their red and golden fruits 
to greatest perfection under the benign rays of asouthern sun. Itisa 
plant of a warm climate, a child of the sun, much more nutritious than 
the Irish Potato on account of the great amount of saccharine matter 
it contains, and no southern table should be found without it from the 
first day of August till the last day of May. Some plant early in 
spring the potato itself in the prepared ridges, and cut the vine from 
the potato when large enough, and plant them out; others start the 
potatoes in a bed prepared expressly for that purpose, and slip off the 
sprouts as they come up, and set these out. The latter method will 
produce the earliest potatoes, others who set out the vines, say that 
they make the largest tubers. In preparing the land the soil should 
be thoroughly pulverized, the ridges laid off about five feet apart, well 
drawn up and rather flat on top. If everything is ready, and time for 
planting has arrived, do not wait for a rain, make a paste of clay and 
cow manure, in this dip the roots of the slips and press the earth 
firmly around them. Old slips are more tenacious of life than young 
ones, and will under these circumstances answer best. Watering 
afterwards, if dry weather continues, of course, will be beneficial. 
Otherwise plant your vines or slips just before or after a rain. Two 
feet apart in the row is considered a good distance. The ridges 
should never be disturbed by a plow from the time they are made un- 
til the potatoes are ready to be dug. 
Scrape off the grass and young weeds with the hoe and pull up 
the large ones by hand. Crap grass is peculiarly inimical to the sweet 
potato and should be kept carefully out of the patch. The vines 
should never be allowed to take root between the rows. Sweet pota- 
toes should be dug before a heavy frost occurs; a very light one will 
~ dono harm. The earth should be dry enough to keep it from sticking 
to the potatoes. The old fashioned potato bank is the best arrangement 
for keeping them, the main points being a dry place and ventilation. 
Varieties generally cultivated in the South. 
The Yam. Taking into consideration quality and productive- 
ness, the Yam stands at the head of the list. Frequently when baked, 
the saccharine matter in the shape of candy will be seen hanging to 
them in strings. Skin and flesh yellow, and very sweet. Without a 
doubt, the best potato for family use. 
Southern @ueen. Very similar to the former, but smoother, 
the tubers having no veins or very few. 
Shanghai or California Yam. This is the earliest variety 
we have, frequently, under favorable circumstances, giving good 
sized tubers two months after planting the vine. Very productive, 
having given 300 bushels per acre when planted early and on rich 
