PREPARING THE SOIL FOR POTATOES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1261, 30 April 1896, Page 6

PREPARING THE SOIL FOR POTATOES.

In preparing the soil for the potato it is desirable that it should be stirred deep in autumn or beginning ot winter, and that as little working of the soil in spring as is consistent with securing a firm mould should be studied, it being found highly important to retain the moisture which is in the soil, partly to push away the young shoots, and to supply during the dry weather in spring and summer tlm moisture necessary for a healthy growth. During the winter montliH the action of the atmosphere on soils exposed to it by being roughly ploughed disintegrates tho soil in a manner that no mere mechanical action can (fleet. If a orower intends to Rchmvp complete success, it is not. sufficient that lie should plant one good variety; it is also necessary to cultivate in a rational manner, ami to give to tho soil a suitable kind of manure. In the immense majority ot cases there is a want of phosphoric acid, and to meet this requirement the application ol phosphates is recommended. The basic slag or Thomas phosphate generally gives good results. This basis of the manure should, if possible, consist of good stable dung given in modern'® quantities, and to this may be added, if tlm soil is somewhat exhausted, a small quantity of nitrate of soda, which it is necessary to cover in with tlm plough. Potash is not of much value, direct application to tlm potato plant being rather hurtful. harm yard manure should always be applied in tlm autumn, supplemented in tlm spring with a few hundredweights per acre of artificial manure. Tho manure applied in autumn need only be partially decomposed, and tho quantity may range frem ten to thirty tons per acre; but as the liability to disease is considerably increased with extra manuring, moderate doses are advisable. Farm yard manure can be occasionally judiciously

applied at the period of planting, but fresh manure is certainly detrimental to the growth of sound tubers.