SWEET POTATOES 265 
them with water forming a “mud dough.” The roots of 
the sets are then placed in the mud mixture to receive a 
coating of the material. 
Sweet potato sets are planted by hand and with a ma¬ 
chine. If the area to be planted is small they are planted 
by hand. In planting, the sets are dropped about 14 
to 18 inches apart in the row and are planted by opening 
a small hole in the bed with the hand and placing the set 
m the excavation and firming the dirt about the roots of 
Fig. 189—Packing and marketing sweet potatoes. The farmers bring ii 
carloads° P wagons ' They are packed in standard baskets and shipped ii 
it with the fingers. Many growers drop the sets and 
push them into the soil with a stick having a notch or 
fork in the end. The soil is then tamped about the plant. 
If the weather is dry at planting time, it is a good plan 
to make openings in the rows where the plants are to be 
dropped. The set is placed in the opening, watered and 
some dry dirt is placed over the moist soil. Where large 
areas of potatoes are grown, they are planted by a horse 
drawn machine that drops, waters, and sets the slips. 
Cultivation.— Sweet potatoes should be given timely 
and thorough cultivation. They may be hoed several 
