POTATO BLIGHT.

Feilding Star, Volume III, Issue 839, 27 March 1909, Page 1

POTATO BLIGHT.

NOT MUCH THIS YEAR. I Potato blight may be seen this year in a number of districts, states Mr Kirk, Government Biologist, but the evil is not at all pronounced. The [ dryness of the season induced growers to trust in providence rather than in the spray pump, and paid a penalty . Those who planted in areas where the humidity was excessive, and neglected the spraying, lost a portion of their crops. The growers are asked over and over again to regard spraying as a cheap insurance policy. Some act on the advice, and rejoice; others turn a deaf ear, and are saddened In 1906 a Feilding farmer, who decided to follow Mr Kirk's instructions, thoroughly sprayed a crop of thirty acres, and the result was a yield of fourteen tons to the^acre in a season when fhe blight was prevalent and ruined many potato fields. At a time when heedless persons lost money, the wise man cleared between £4000 and £5000. for he got very high prices for the produce. And the total cost of spraying cost only 5a to 5s 9d per acre for one application. Even if three or four courses are deemed necessary, it is estimated that the outlay of 15s to £1 an acre to ensure a crop is money very well invested.