{ _White Potatoes._ It is best for children not to {attempt to grow more than one plant of potatoes, {but they may be interested to know that white {potatoes are grown from the “eye,” cut in a large {square-shaped piece of the potatoes. The potatoes {form on the roots of the bush, and are dug _Potatoes_ {and stored in the Fall. { _Sweet Potatoes_ grow on the roots of a very {pretty vine which trails over the ground. To get {the young plants, some sweet potatoes are grown in {hotbeds, and the vines are transplanted in hot {weather to open ground. In transplanting, always press with your fingers the soil firmly down around the roots. FERTILIZERS As you know, in order to make good and rapid growth, plants need the right kind of food. Manure is the best fertilizer. In manure almost every kind of plant food is supplied, but there are chemical foods which stimulate growth and are easily applied. If it is impossible to obtain manure, use decayed vegetables and leaves, and _Commercial Fertilizer_, which is made up of the mineral or chemical food needed by plants. Do not use too much, for it is very heating and may burn the roots of young plants. Never let the roots come into direct contact with the powder—always sprinkle some earth over it after throwing a small quantity (about two tablespoonfuls) in a hole. _Bone meal_ or Ground Bone is another excellent food. If sprinkled on the ground and dug in around the roots of roses, it will give them a good food supply. _Nitrate of Soda_ is a very stimulating food for _vegetables_. Use 1 tablespoonful in 4 quarts of water in the sprinkler. Do not use until the plants are at least 3 inches high, and only once in two weeks. Sprinkle ground near roots—do not sprinkle leaves. _Cow Manure_ and _Sheep Manure_ may be purchased in powdered form for use in a small garden, and in this form are most easily managed by little folks. Powdered Sheep Manure dug in around the roots of roses once a month assures a wealth of bloom. INSECTICIDES All plants will be attacked by insects. One of the best insecticides for children to use, because it is not poisonous to human beings, is Slug Shot, a patent preparation, which will kill worms and many other biting insects. It is inexpensive and need be dusted but lightly on foliage which is bitten. Tobacco tea made by throwing boiling water over tobacco stems, and letting it cool, is used for aphides (Plant lice). For other insecticides, see Chapter XXIX. In the following blank pages, write down your own experience in gardening; for example,