The Farmers' Column

Bruce Herald, Volume IX, Issue 806, 26 May 1876, Page 7

The Farmers' Column

THE 2fE"W YAItIETIES OF POTATO

" Big potatoes " and " big crops " occupy a ' large share of space in the English horticultural journals of October and November. The American varieties continue to furnish sensational paragraphs, each more highly seasoned than its predecessor, and but for the eeetning authenticity of the statements they contain, we should be disposed to regard them as brag. The greatest weight recorded as having been grown in the United States from 1 lb of seed was 1018 lb ; the grower was Mr 11. C. Pearson, of Pitcairn, N.Y., who exhibited the produce at the great potato trial last year. It is now stated in the ' Garden ' that in the spring of 1875, Mr Ford, the gardener of Mr Bromley Davenport, M.P., at Capesthorne, purchased of Messrs Hooper & Co., Covent Garden, a single pound of each of two American potatoes — Snowflake and Eureka. These were duly planted in the presence of certain witnesses, and on the 13th of August, Snowflake, the earlier of the two, was lifted in the presence of numerous witnesses, who superintended the weighing, when the crop was found to be G3S lb. Wonderful as this was, Eureka, a week later, gave a atill greater surprise ; the produce being lOS2^ lb, thus exceeding by 64 i !b the greatest weight ever recorded in America. Some explanation of the phrase " grown from one pouud of seed," should certainly be given when such startling results are promulgated. Partial explanations of the system under which these enormous weights are produced have been given from time to time, but they would hardly be compatible with the simple statement above given, in which the planting of the seed is recorded. The seed, it is said, was planted on a certain day in the presence of certain persons. It is not said that after growth had commenced the young shoots were taken oft' from time to time and planted out ; and had such been the course, some reference to it should certainly have been made. The American potatoes, especially Vermont seedling, posses?, in common with many old varieties, the property of producing tubers along the stems at the axils of the leaves. A stem of a coarse kind of fluke was lately brought to us covered with embryo tubers, and it was obvious that had the stem been laid in the ground, a large extra crop would have resulted. This is one of the plans j by which the immense cropn of American potatoes are raised in the United States and in England, but even under that method, and after allowing for the division of every natural eye into two or three sets (another part of the plan), the statement is almost incredible that nearly 1100 lb of tubers has been produced from one pound. Turning to potato lore generally, we find a difference of opinion on the merits of the American varieties. Here, in Australia, growers have learnt that the quality of potatoes depends chiefly on the character of the soil — that new land rarely fails to yield healthy aud wellflavored tubers. The scarcity of new land in Great Britain has prevented home growers from discovering, as 'generally as in this country, its value for producing potatoes ; there can be no doubt, we think, that the prevalence of disease amongst potatoes has been due chif-fly to the exhaustion of some element of the soil which is essential to the potato ; ■ at all events, when they ore grown in this country for several years upon the same plot of ground, they cease to bo healthy, dry, floury, and become waxy and worthlees. Cannot our chemists eupply the ■ explanation ? — The ' Australasian.' judging poui/rnv, If to select the best bird of a class be a difficult task, as indeed we know it often is, how far more difficult it must be to name the beet bird in a show ? A dorking amongst dorkings, or a cochin amongst cochins, may be manifestly pre-eminent, but a dorking or a cochin against the field is quite another thing, and if the palm can be easily adjudged to a bird in such a position, the owner may reat assured that he has an unusually good fowl. As acknowledged judges of an animal, we believe that we generally "take in" the points at the first glanco. The first impressions, aa a rule, are the best, and so sit a ver) sucpesßf'ul eshibiton of tha Bath and West of England Agricultural Society we easily placed the winning Shorthorn, heifer and Devon, cqw ■ hvjt vfben it canie to be it point of choosing between May and Chrietmas, between a combination of size aud quality and mere quality alone, or, in other words,, when called upon to select the best beast iv the yard, we for a time felt nowhere, and to this day are not satisfied the award is not justly open to question. And so with fowls. It is a very nice thing for the judge whose duty it is to decide and whose decision is final,

A fair field and no favor, and still thore may be a mistake; even if three judgea are called in there ia thea the probability,

for possibility, to put; it mildly, that they are not each and all in favor of one and the same variety of fowls, and there iB just the chance that one or the other or all three have their special favorites. How rare a position and how welcome for judges and exhibitors when one bird stands up altogether above his fellows, and wins by something more than a neck I Judges are not infallible, not apt but liable to make mistakes, as proved by the recent award of a prize to a fourclawed dorking! It not anfrequently happens that too much is put upoD them. There is a given time, and no matter how closely the birds may run each other, the work must be finished, or the eager crowd awaiting the opening of the doors will grumble^ and rage, and not improbably write most pathetic or indignant letters of condemnation to the papers seven weeks after the show is over. A just cause of complaint may be found now and then, but in general, if those who find fault knew as much and examined as carefully as did the judges, their criticisms would be withheld, and they would neither add to their own disappointment, nor to the disgust of others. Many people forget that the judges have something- more than the momentary inspection of a correct eye to guide them ; they seem to forget that the judges do not just pass on as they themselves do, and " spot " the winners at once ; they speak as though unaware that it is when the obviously undeserving pens are put aside, and the competition becomes closer, that points can be counted. To listen to the remarks at a poultry exhibition is highly amusing, sometimes edifying, and occasionally encouraging or soothing to the unsuccessful exhibitor. To find fault with the powers that be is simply inherent in us, but let us endeavor to see both the fowls and ourselves as others see us. — ' Agricultural Gazette.'