SWEET POTATOES IN NOBTHEBN LOCALITIES. 83 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

 SWEET POTATOES IN NORTHERN LOCALITIES. 



Sweet Potatoes in Ohio. — "1 believe sweet pota- 

 toes can be profitably grown much farther North than is 

 generally supposed, or wherever any variety of corn will 

 ripen/' says Mr. W. M. Rathbone, Marietta, Ohio, who 

 has made the sweet potato crop a study for years. Mr. 

 Rathbone plants in ridges three feet apart from center 

 to center, with the plants set in the ridge eighteen 

 to twenty-four inches apart. After every shower that 

 forms a crust, he ploughs lightly with a three-shovel 

 plough constructed especially for the work, and scrapes 

 down the crust and incipient weeds — do not let these 

 get a fair start — with the two small shovels on the outer 

 shafts, while the large shovel attached behind to a cen- 

 ter-beam heaves the ridges up again, all in one perform- 

 ance. As soon as the vines cover the ground he is ready 

 for a drouth, which injures this crop less than any other. 



Most people, in Mr. Rathbone's opinion, err in select- 

 ing land that is too wet for the sweet potato crop. They 

 also plant too close. In !New York, Maine or Canada, 

 Mr. R. suggests that the hills on these soils ought to be 

 as far apart as those of corn, in order to insure ample 

 sunlight as the crop approaches maturity. 



Sweet Potatoes in Ontakio, Canada.— -Pew per- 

 sons have an idea of the wide range of the sweet potato, 

 and wo aid hardly expect that fine, large potatoes could 

 be raised in the Province of Ontario, Canada ; but such 

 is the fact. We have before us a report of the "Fruit 

 Growers' Association of the Province of Ontario," from 

 which we glean the following : 



" 'Yellow Nansemond' is probably one of the best 

 varieties for this Province ; succeeds well, very prolific, 



