FARMING NOTES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3132, 28 August 1922, Page 2

FARMING NOTES.

SUCCESS WITH POTATOES. "The great secret in potato growing," said Mr Hiam, a famous English farmer, "is to get the! proper seed, and the system adopted in Jersey could be followed with advantage*. The potatogrowers there secure all their seed from their own stocks. The greenest and most vigorous plants are dug up for seed when the potatoes have reached about three-quarter growth. These potatoes are put in boxes, and left in the sun until they get thoroughly green and hard, when they are put away in a shed, where they will be secure from frost for the winter. They are examined about every ten days to see that they are not sprouting too much, and this is prevented by giving them more air, or moving the minto a cooler position. It is advisable not to let them grow sprouts more than a quarter of an inch in length. Through getting these potatoes green and hard in the sun, when planted wire worm and other pc*ts will not interfere with them, and should the land be wet, they will not rot as other potatoes do. Also, when (hey are growing they are much stronger to resist frost. There is no comparison between -seed saved in this manner and that saved from potatoes that have been allowed to ripen. Potatoes for this purpose must lie lifted while they are in vigorous growth, and before any sign of blight appears, as once this disease lias shown itself in the aulm the potatoes would hot keep if dug green, as the spores from the leaves and the spores on the land immediately affect the tuber (hat is dug in an immature state. I have no hesitation in saying that the grower who carries out these instructions will increase Ins c-ip by at least 40 per cent.''