Sweet Potato 



219 



longs to a very different kind of plant, the Dioscoreas. Fig. 

 117 shows " a well-proportioned sweet potato as illus- 

 trated by R. G. Hill, of the N. Car. Extension Service 

 (Ex. Cir. 30). Note 

 also Fig. 118. 



The sweet potato 

 requires a deep well- 

 drained sandy loam. 

 The soil should be 

 liberally supplied 

 with well - rotted 

 manure. Wood ashes 

 is often a most ex- 

 c e 11 6 n t fertilizer. 

 Commercial fertiliz- 

 ers are extensively 

 employed. The soil 

 should be well pre- 

 pared before the slips 

 are set, to avoid the necessity of cultivating close to the 

 roots. Clean tillage should be practiced until the ground 

 is thickly covered by the vines. After this, large weeds 

 should be removed with hand tools. Rows are about 3 feet 

 apart, and the slips themselves are usually 15 or 18 inches. 

 In level culture, 24 to 30 inches either way are good dis- 

 tances, requiring 8,000 to 10,000 plants to the acre. In 

 ridge culture, 30 to 40 inches between rows and 12 to 18 

 inches in the row constitute good practice; 8,000 to 12,500 

 plants go on an acre. 



On the fertilizing of sweet potatoes, R. W. De Baun 

 writes as follows in Circ. 114 of tlie New Jersey Experi- 



118. A good lot of sweet potatoes. 



