“Best Potato Soil In the World”

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 171, 22 July 1939, Page 6

“Best Potato Soil In the World”

FLOOD LAND USED (Special to “Times.”) HASTINGS, July 21. As the result of last year’s floods and the subsequent use of modern farming [machinery, a Pakowhai settler now claims to have some of the best potato land in the world. “I’m not boasting when I say that,” he said. “It’s an honest fact.” Eighteen months ago, he said, the particular property, which is close to the 'Ngaruroro river and was subject to floods, was covered with blackberry, and tussock. It was a hard job merely clearing the surface, and early last year the blackberry was anything up to six feet high. The property was completely submerged by the repeated flood waters of last year, and in consequence there was a tremendous deposit of soil and silt in this locality. ‘A few months ago I got to work on the property with a swamp tractor, and it cleared the property in great style,” said the enthusiastic settler, ‘‘Up came root and bushes of blackberry, and I was amazed to find how deep was the new soil that had been deposited on the property. It was just beautiful soil, vich in manure and lovely and fine. I can get a furrow of two feet and still not get the old level.” The cultivation of the whole area, he explained was prompted by an experiment he carried out on a small section of the property last spring. In this plot he grew a great crop of potatoes, some of the tubers being anything up to six inches through. ‘‘Well, I’ve got about 10 acres of this land now ready for planting out in potatoes in a short while,” he said, “and I’m picking I’ll have a wonderful crop. You couldn’t better the soil anywhere in the world/