FARMING IN THE KING COUNTRY

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 182, 1 August 1923, Page 11

FARMING IN THE KING COUNTRY

THE POTATO CROP. ("ANCHOBITE.") As this is the proper time of the season to prepare the ground for growing this universal article of diet, a few hints as to the "modus operand!" will probably be of value to the new man on the land. To be successful at farming, the man on the land, must grow the crops his land will produce, not only for home consumption, but, when possible, for the sale of the residue of the crop. The King Country lands and climate are highly suitable for the growing of potatoes, therefore, no good farmer should ever have to pay out hard cash for a commodity that he can easily grow upon his own soil, thereby by so doing, curtailing his expenditure in freights' and other charges, as well as tilling and improving his own property. HOW TO PREPARE THE SOIL. If one-eighth of an acre or more land is to be put down in potatoes, the plough ■will be the settler's best implement to use. Choose, for preference, a level part of the farm; although potatoes do well when planted on elopes, provided that the rows run up and down the slope, and arc facing the sun for the greater part of the day. The land chosen ehould be quite free from sourness, and water, as potatoes grow best in a rather dry, well-worked bed. The area should also be in a handy position for the carting away of the harvested crop, the tubers being heavy, this aspect must be carefully considered by the grower. The land ehould then be ploughed very deeply, in fact aa deep as possible; after this operation is faithfully completed it ehould then lie fallow until late in August or early in September, by which time the air and weather will have sweetened the soil. The plot now requires discing several times, as that which is the top of the soil now—in this stage of the operations—will eventually I be on the bottom, the seed bed of the crop, therefore the more it is disced, the better will be the foundation. One now requires to cross plough the potato patch, and in this operation, the planting of the seed goes on simultaneously. HOW TO PLANT POTATOES. The space between the rows of seed ehould be two feet, and the distance between each seed should <be one foot or a little over, rather than under. The depth of planting is four or five inches below the natural surface of the soil, If a single furrow plough is used, and regulated correctly, the seed would be sown after every third round of • the. plough. If using a double 'furrow, it can be regulated bo as to plant" after every round by turning over a - double-foot-sod. The. seed is placed hard up under the cave of the turned sod, the planters following-the team; the seed is placed in this position in order to be clear from the feet of the furrow horse, • otherwise it would be trampled out of line, and also injured by the weight of the animal. wtilkjng...on_i it. Potato manure now requires io he" thrown freer? along the line of planted "seetf, which are then covered over with the next-round of the plough. The potatoes, can easily ■be sot in the rows by boys, .after they 'have been shown the correct method, the manure can also be thrown'along" the' rowa by them, thus allowing 'the farmer io concentrate his attention on - •Wβ team, and to see that he ploughs' thftrows as straight as is possible, in order that the growing potatoes can be easily and systematically moulded -when the time is ripe to do this work. , After the potatoes are in, the ground may be. disced the same way in which it was ploughed, twe or three strokes of the discs are required, then the tine harrows, followed by the chain harrows, completes the work of potato planting. As there will be a good deal of mats of frrase and rubbish broueht to the surface by the harrows, these' should be gathered into heaps and burnt off. Under normal conditions the planted seeds will appear above the ground in about four -weeks, therefore it ie highly advisable that the plot of ground planted should be well harrowed with the chain—or back of the tine harrowsone week before they are due to appear above the ground. This work is done for the dual purpose of destroying the seeding weeds, and sweetening and loosening the top soil, in order that the seed sprouts may readily come through the surface. MOULDING UP THE ROWS.

When the young plants are about six inches above the ground, they should be moulded up, with a. potato moulder, or in the absence of that useful implement, the work can be done with a single furrow plough. It is highly desirable to mould up the growing crop, as this work when done thoroughly, greatly increases the yield of the crop—the working of the ground in this operation also destroys all weeds. When the potatoes are moulded, they should be at once sprayed with Bordeaux mixture, as a preventative against that dread scourge of the potato grower—the potato blight. PREPARATION OF SEED AND

VAUIETTES. In preparing the seed for planting, it is advisable to cut the large potatoes, leaving each part with one or more eyes, as it is only from these eyes that the tubor sprouts out its plant life. One can, however, plant the potato in its whole state, but this system takes a lot of seed, although, in the writer's opinion, the crops are averagely more satisfactory when the whole potato is planted. If cut potatoes are used for seed, they should not be planted until a skin has reformed over the cut portion, "which occurs two or three days after the cutting operation. As to the best kinds of potatoes to plant, this is entirely a ■ matter of opinion, tut there is no doubt that there are kinds which are not so prone to the ravages of the blight as others. . In this territory, I have noticed that the Up-to-date, Early Rose, and Gamekeeper, generally escape serious attacks of blight, and moreover are exceedingly heavy croppers, as well as being excellent table varieties. HARVESITKG THE CROP. The tubers are ready for lifting from the bed as soon as the haulms are withered and dry—the sign that the Potato is ripe. *fn the absence of a Potato digging machine in one's locality, tne tubers can be ploughed out. The farrows must be ploughed deeply, in order to get well under the crop, and care must be taken to avoid cutting the njbers. After the potatoes have been - picked up, which the plough has left in ■>gat, the tine harrows are used to bring ■ n P to the surface any buried by the r**--iSeveral strokes of the. tine n»r2*s are advisable; in brdeirto make » •wan job of the crop. It is also a good,

plan to place heavy weights (such ac bags of earth) on the tops of the harrows, in order that the tines may be kept well down in the ground. CLASSING THE POTATOES. When picking the tubers up for bagging, they should be classed into at least three classes—good eating, seed, and pig potatoes. The two latter kinds can be pitted in a corner of the paddock, whilst the former are carted to your shed.

Potato growing is one of the most profitable side-lines on the farm, and no husbandman should fail to grow at least a small plot every season. The average yield, per acre,; in the King Country, when planted as I have described, is from eight to ten tons. The average price for this commodity here during the past twenty-five years, hae been from £8 to £12 per ton. It can thus be seen that there is an average gross profit of from 184 to £120 per acre in potato growing in the King Country.