A POTATO EXPERIMENT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1217, 28 August 1911, Page 8

A POTATO EXPERIMENT.

GOOD WORK ON POOR LAND. ' The potato crop of the Wasranga, experiment farm of the past season encourages the belief that .under proper treatment farm lands can be made to produce potatoes, as well as other of the small farm crops to advantage, gays 3lr. G. Mills in the "Journal of the Department of Agriculture." The returns, ho sayj. wero most satisfactory.... The experiment was also interesting from the- fact that the varieties tested were tew, and it was carried out on lines which any and every farmer can and should adopt. The site was arable . land having a gentlo' slope facing the north, and for tho previous two years had been carrying nursrry stock in the shape of young pear trees. Prior to this it had produced a crop of potatoes on one part, and vegetables on a portion of tlie rest. No manure in any shape waa added after the nursery stock was planted. Tho pear trees wero lifted last autumn, and during September of last year the ground was ploughed once ami disc-harrowed twice; once each way. The drills wore made, by a doublebreasted, or drill, plough, at a distance of 30in„ and the ground remained in this condition till the crop was planted. Tho first lot of seed potatoes (Up-to-Dates) was obtained during September, the tubers being then picked ' over and placed in boxes preparatory for sprouting: On October 2, the. potato sots in tho boxes were sprayed with' Bordeaux mixture, tho 4-4-10 formula being, used. Planting was commenced on October 3, and each drill was given one stroke with a one-horse Plantt Junior hoe. The manure consisted of 'Icwt. of bonemeal, 4cwt. of basic slag, and Icwt. of sulphate of ammonia per acre, and was' sown in the drills, the seed being, planted at tho same time. Tho drills were closed by the hoe with the drill-attachment. The ground was,then given one stroke with the tine harrows reversed. When the tops were about Bin. to Ift. high the crop was sprayed with Bordeaux -1440 formula. After spraying, tho hoe was used between the rows, onoo to scarify and again afterwards to earth tip the potatoes. The same process ,of spraying," scarifying, and earthing was carried out about five weeks later, and after that the crop received no labour till tho potatoes wore lifted on February 29. The crop whea lifted and when sorted four weeks later gave altogether about 11 tons Bcwt. of sound potatoes, Icwt. being blighied. The gross return per aero was just over 11 tons, and was raado u(. as follows;— Marketable size, or potatoes over 30z., 9 tons; seed size, or potatoes between l!oz. to 3oz. (inclusive), li terns; siua.lt potatoes, under ljoz.. ■ t ton. Tho lessons to bo taken from tho above experiment are:—Firstly, use clean and even-sized s<ed. Secondly, spray tubers before planting. Thirdly, spray during early stages of growth. Fourthly, keep down weeds between drills by scarifying, and earth as high os_ possible. Fifthly, do not use too much nitrogenous manure.