THE SWEET POTATO IX HAWAII. 
19 
SWEET POTATOES AS FEED FOR FARM ANIMALS. 
When the sweet potato is grown on a large scale in rotation with 
other crops and it is desired to economize on labor in harvesting the 
roots, cattle and sheep may be pastured on the area to consume the 
vines, and later hogs may be turned in to harvest the roots for them- 
selves. If the area in sweet potatoes is exceptionally large, and the 
above system of harvesting is practiced, the grazing area should be 
inclosed with a portable fence to prevent waste when the hogs are 
turned in to root. Potatoes which are brought to the surface but 
not eaten should be daily gathered from the paddocked area and fed 
to other hogs. 
Sweet potatoes can be fed to horses and mules as a supplement to 
the regular carbohydrate feed. The roots should be cut into pieces 
with a vegetable cutter and then mixed with a small quantity of mo- 
lasses, so that the animals will become accustomed to them. The 
work mules at the experiment station are given rolled barley in the 
morniDg. corn at noon, and chopped sweet potatoes in the evening, 
when corn and sweet potatoes are available, This ration keeps them 
in excellent condition. 
Sweet potato tops. — In the hog-raising and dairy enterprises in 
Hawaii large quantities of the succulent garden pigweed or purslane 
(Portulaca ohracea) and honohono (Comrndina nudifora) are fed to 
hogs and cows. The following table gives the chemical composition 
of sweet-potato vines, pigweed, and honohono: 
Composition of sweet-potato vines, pigweed, and honohono. 
Crop. 
Water. 
Ash. 
Crude j Carbo- 
protein. , hydrates. 
Fat. 
Sweet potato vines. . 
Per cent. 
87. 67 
95. 20 
Per cent. 
1.27 
.96 
1.40 
Per cent. : Per cent. 
2.93 7.77 
1.04 1 2.71 
1.27 , 7.58 
Percent. 
0.38 
.09 
Honchom 
89. 43 
.32 
SUMMARY. 
The sweet potato belongs to the morning-glory family, and many 
varieties bloom profusely in Hawaii from November to April. 
In ancient times the crop was cultivated, the native agriculturists 
evidently appreciating the importance of selection and the value 
of alternating the crop with other crops to improve the physical 
condition of the soil. 
The crop needs moderate rainfall, an abundance of sunshine, and 
warm nights for best development. It should be grown in a well- 
drained, moderately fertile, loose sandy soil. It responds to favor- 
able treatment, making good growth and producing roots of fine 
quality on well-prepared land that has been planted with legumes 
the year preceding. The depth of plowing usually practiced for corn 
is satisfactory for sweet potatoes. 
Cultivation should begin when the vines are about 8 inches long. 
Usually from three to four cultivations are sufficient to keep the soil 
in good tilth until the field is overrun with vines. 
The plant is drought-resistant and produces a crop of roots with 
very little moisture. 
