PKOPAGATIOH OE THE SWEET POTATO. 27 



manure, to see if it is more than agreeably warm to the 

 hand. If so, uncover for a few days, "but do not let it 

 rain upon the bed before the plants are up, as it would 

 get too hot. Slips can be obtained in this way so early 

 that they will have to be protected from the frost, and in 

 larger quantities from a peck than from a bushel by the 

 usual method. If well watered, slips may be drawn 

 every week from the first of April until into July. I set 

 them out when the ground is dry, and pour half a pint 

 of water around each slip, and cover with dry earth." 



Method of Bedding Seed Potatoes— (By a Vir- 

 ginia Planter). — "Select some dry time to dig. In the 

 meantime, procure pine-bark and spread it out in the 

 sun a day or two, and dry it before you dig. Baise a 

 mound on the ground wherever you choose to kiln your 

 potatoes, about a foot high ; then put down a layer 

 of the thickest pine-bark on the mound (perhaps other 

 bark would answer), and gather your potatoes up the 

 same evening of the digging, and place them upon the 

 bark in a sugar-loaf or conical form. When completed, 

 cover over with dry pine bark compactly ; then upon 

 that put a layer of wheat straw, and cover the whole 

 with earth. Make a square pen of poles or rails around 

 the kiln, taking care to raise one side higher than the 

 other ; then put on your roof of boards, so that it will 

 not leak. Before the winter sets in (but not very soon 

 after the kiln has been made), uncover and fill tightly 

 with leaves ; then cover again and open in April follow- 

 ing, and set out your hot-bed with the most perfect and 

 sound tubers of medium size. It is not necessary to use 

 stake-holes, to ventilate, when beds are made in this way ; 

 there will be enough ventilation if you don't put the leaves 

 on too soon. This is especially the mode for keeping 

 seed potatoes. The main crop can De preserved in the 

 same wav." 

 New Jeeset Seed Bed. — The farther we go North 



