264 ELEMENTARY AGRICULTURE 
enough for planting, the land should be. freshly stirred 
to receive the sets. If the sets and slips are to be planted 
on flat land the rows should be laid off about thirty 
inches apart. In case they are planted in bedded rows, 
the rows should be prepared with a turning plow and 
thrown up several inches high. The distance between 
each row should be from 3 1-2 to 4 feet. 
Drawing and Setting Sets.—The best time to plant 
sweet potato sets is just before or after a good rain. Be- 
Fig 188—The sweet potatoes are turned out with a plow, and the boys sort 
them as they put them into baskets. 
fore removing the sets from the bed, the bed should be 
watered thoroughly several hours before drawing the sets. 
In drawing the sets it is best to press down on the potato 
with the left hand and remove the sets having four or 
five leaves with the right hand. The sets are then tied 
in bunches of 100 and placed in the shade to prevent 
wilting. During dry weather it is a good plan to puddle 
the sets and slips before setting them. This is done by 
taking clay and a little decomposed manure and mixing 
