ARMING IN THE KING COUNTRY

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 189, 12 August 1925, Page 16

ARMING IN THE KING COUNTRY

THE POTATO CROP.

PREPARING THE PLOTS

CAREFUL CULTIVATION

ESSENTIAL.

(By "AXCHORITF.. ,- ;

■ The successful farmer grows the crops | liis land will jiroduce, not only for home | consumption, but, when possible, for j thq- sale of the residue of the crop he i giwvs. Tlie ploughable lands of the ' King Country are highly suitable for j the production of high-grade potatoes. | therefore no goo.d farmer in this terri- j torY should ever have to pay out hard ! ca-sh for a commodity that he can easily | prow in his own soil, curtailing j hFs expenditure —in freight and other , cirarges—whilst, at the same time im- \ proving his holding by the necessary | intense cultivation involved in growing j proline potato crops. It is pleasing to observe that at the j moment, considerable activity is ap- | parent on mo?t farms in the preparation i t>t t':ic soil fur the planting of the seed j or thi* nid s t popuinr article of diet, for both the human and animal kingdom. Preparing the Land. If one-eighth of an acre or more land j is to be planted with potatoes, the plough i will be the farmer"? \<eiZ implement to use. The site for the plot should be carefully chosen, for preference, a level part of the farm; although potatoes frequently do well when planted on slopes, provided the rows run up and down j the slope?, and are facing the sun for tile greater part of the day. The land selected should be guile free from sourness, and water, as this crop grows best in a rather dry, well-worked seed-"bed. The potato [plot should, also be in a handy location for the carting off of the hftrvested crop, the tubers being heavy, this particular aspect is carefully considered by the successful potato grower. Many growers skim plough the land early in winter, and then plough again very deeply, in fact, as deep as possible, eiirly in August, to have the land free of weeds and in good heart for the final re-ploughing early ■in September—the popular period for planting the main crop jm,,this region.- -. .. .. ~» -_ , - Ai'ter'""th'e' August ploughing the plot is heavily manured with artificial or farmyard manures, which, together with the ameliorating effects of the August frosts on the ploughed soil, gives a p'prfect bed for the September seeding. Prior to the final re-ploughing in September the plots are disced several times, so that the top soil may be worked into a perfect seed bed before being ploughed under. (The more the land is disced and cross-disced, the better will be the seed bed). In the final ploughing, the planting of the seed goes on simultaneously. j Method of Planting. ■ The space between the rows of seed should be two feet, and the distance between each seed should be one foot or a little over, rather than under this space. . The depth of planting should be four or five inches below the natural surface of the 6oil. When a single furrow plough is employed and regulated correctly, the seed should be planted after every third round in which two feet of soil is turned under. The seed is placed hard up under the cave of the turned sod, the planters following the ploughman. The seed is placed in this position in order to be cjnar of the feet of the furrow horse, otherwise injury would result from the vyeight of the animal's tread on the tubers. Potato manure now requires to be thrown freely along the rows of jilanted seed, which are then covered over with the next round of the plough. ■The potatoes can.'easily be set in the rows by boys—after they have been shown the correct'methods, the manure luay also be thrown along the furrow by them, thus allowing the farmer to concentrate his attention on his team, and to see that he ploughs the rows as straight as possible, in order that the potatoes, when growing, may be easily and systematically weeded and moulded . when the time arrives for this work to be undertaken. When the crop is planted, the plot should be disced along the furrows several times, and then cross-disced, tbais preventing a hard pan forming above the seeds. All mats of grass or rubbish should then be brought to the surface with the tine harrows and burned off when dry. Under normal conditions the sprouting potatoes will appear above the ground in about three weeks (from planting), therefore it is highly advisable that the plot of ground planted should be well harrowed with the back of the tines (or chain harrows) one week before the sprouts appear. This work is done for the dual purpose of destroying the seedling weeds, and for sweetening and loosening the top soil, in order that the seed sprouts may readily conic through the surface. The growing plants may also be harrowed for the same purposes, nfter tljey have been in evidence for a fortnight. !! Moulding the Rows. When the 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 may be done with a single furrow plough (with the disc removed), it is imperative that this moulding be done during the early stages of growth, as th ■Iβ a great factor in increasing «« yield of the crop. H ero , again, the -2m W ° f° f tl,e top soil destroys seedling weed growth h, the operation. After moulding up the plants should be at once sprayed with Bordeaux mix ture as a preventive against that dread scourge of the grower, the potato blight. .Varieties of Seed. In this territory, the writer has observed that " Up-to-Dates," " Early Epsc," and. ''Gamekeeper" generally escape' attacks of blight, and moreover arc exceedingly prolific croppers, .as well as being excellent eating varieties. However, as to tlie best kind, of potatoes to plant, this is entirely a matter of opinion, gained-by experience, but it is advisable to plant the kind that arc known' to grow well in the locality under review. There is no doubt, however, that there are kinds which are npt so pronu to the ravages of bljght as 'others. Preparing the Seed. . In preparing , tin;, sei'd before planting, many farmers cut tlie larger tubers, leaving"endPpKTt with one "or more " eyes " (it is only from these " eyes " tlidt the tuber .out its plant life). ,One can, however, plant the potato in. Us -whole sta tt>, a Hhough ■thi a ■ practice takes a lot of seed, but to the opinion ■ ' "■'>-■■ I

of many experienced, potato growers this system is productive of better crops. When cut potatoes are used for seed, they should not be , planted as such, until a " skin" lias reformed over the cut surface, which occurs two or three days after the cutting operation. Harvesting the Crop. Tlr tubers are ripe and ready for lifting as soon as the haulms are withered and dry—the signs of ripeness. In the absence of a potato-digging machine in one's locality, the tubers may be ploughed out, using the share. and mould-board alone. Tlie furrows must be ploughed deeply in order to get well under the crop, and the operator will observe the withered haulms and avoiU running the plough through their centre, beneath which the seed lies. After the. potatoes which the plough has left in sight have been picked up, the tine harrows (deep prongs) niay be used to bring up to the surface • any buried by the sod. Several .strokes'and cross-strokes of the tines ' aru advisable in order to make a elumi ji.b of the harvest. Jt is iiLso a good practice to place heavy weights (such as sacks of potatoes or earth) on the top of the harrows, in order to keep the tines well down in this ground, O r to tlie maximum depth ■ut" wliu-li the tubers have grown. Classing the Crop. . •- When .picking Uici tubers U p f or !,„„. Xiujr, they should ho graded into not less than ' tlfrei* ■ samples—good eatiii" , medium and seed anil pig potatoes! The?« latter: - niaylVc'rechisScd wTien ' the smaller ones arc being fed to ni-a fowls, etc. , l ° ' the eating potatoes should he stored in a shed, whilst tht> oilier varieties may be pitted in'a corner of the. potato paddock.

Potato growing is one of the most profitable side-lilies "on the modern farm, and no farmer should fail to grow at least , a small plot each season. The -.Average yield per acre in the King .Country, .when planted and cared for as I ha/ye described, is from eight to fifteen tons. The average price for potatoes here during the past twentylive years- has been about £8 10/ per ton. ft may thus be soon that there are jrood prospective profits to be expected from the well-ordered potato patch of the King Country.