Prospects of New Season’s Potato Crops

Franklin Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 111, 21 September 1938, Page 4

Prospects of New Season’s Potato Crops

NOT VERY BRIGHT

BLIGHT RAMPANT

DAMAGE BY HAIL

WARM WEATHER REQUIRED

The immediate prospects of the new season’s potato crops, as far as Pukekohe growers are concerned, are not very bright, in fact the outlook is rather gloomy. Climatic conditions, from what can be gathered, have been disastrous and growers of early crops will be heavy losers.

Digging operations on a minor scale have been commenced^ on Pukekohe Hill. Last week a consignment of 32 bags, representing about 16 cwt, the first of the season, left for Wellington, but details as to liow they fared on the market are not available. It is understood, however, that the quality of some of the produce dug recently is not in keeping with the reputation Pukekohe enjoys for her early potatoes, in fact some growers have expressed the opinion that as far as yield is concerned this is one of the worst season’s experienced for a long time. They would not say that it is the worst in the history of the early potato growing industry because they are not old enough to go back to the time of Pukekohe’s heydey, when the district produced some of the finest potatoes ever harvested in New Zealand. “I have never known the position to be so serious,” said one prominent grower. “In fact,” he added, “it is / a tragedy. Blight has been rampant # and the w 7 eek-end hail storms simply knocked the whole life out of the crops. The cold, wet weather, not only retarded growth, hut was the cause of the plants rotting, while it also made them so weak that they were unable to resist disease. The position today is serious and it will not he until mid-November before a satisfactory stage is reached. The inv mediate prospects are not at all bright. The crops that have survived are poor, while a number have been ploughed in.” Most Damage on Western Slopes Another prominent grower expressed the opinion that while bli c ht played havoc with the very early crops, it was, to a large extent, on the wane. A lot of damage, he said, had been caused by hail, both potatoes and onions having been affected, more particularly on the western slopes of the hill. He corroborated the statement that several small plots of very early potatoes had been ploughed in and "■ also that the crops dug so far had been poor both as regards quality and yield. “Blight,” he said, “has given growers a pretty bad run. The later crops were looking pretty good and prospects for these were bright. It would he mid-November before anything worth while in regard to yield would be harvested. A lot of course, depends on the weather, but growers could do with a stretch of milder and warmer conditions. In view of the I waterlogged ground, the cold and ab- • normally wet weather that we have ! experienced since May,” he said, “one , could not expect much in the way of 1 yield. The potatoes have been in for ! about four months under had conditions. Why, under the best of con- ' dilions it requires four months to get ; a decent crop,” he asserted. I “We want warmer weather now that ! spring growth has set in and if we | get this, in -a week or two you will not I he able to see any sign of damage ! caused by hail,” he concluded.