METHODS OF PLANTING POTATOES

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1747, 30 August 1905, Page 61

METHODS OF PLANTING POTATOES

In the first place, the condition of the soil is a matter of considerable moment, and it can scarcely be too deeply and thoroughly tilled, or too free and friable at the time of planting, while it is not easily rendered too rich, provided that it is prefectly sweet as well. It should, therefore, especially if of at all a heavy or tenacious description, have been well dug, or trenched, and thrown up roughly, as regards the surface. in. the autumn or early part of the winter. At the same time a moderate dressing of good ordinary stable or farmyard manure in a partly or half decayed condition may be worked in, more or less according to the conditions of the ground at the time. As regards manuring, however, by far the most common method is to apply it at the time of planting, laying it either over or under the seed, as the case may be. This plan, though certainly open to objection from some points of view, is so simple, and on the whole effective as well as so very generally adopted, that if not exactly perfect it cannot be regarded as really erroneous,, and in point of fact is probably as good as any other. The amount of manure so applied need not, and indeed should not be very great, from ten to fifteen good cartloads (tons) to the acre being usually ample. Better results are undoubtedly secured by depending to a large extent, if not chiefly on artificial or rather chemical fertilisers, instead of on heavy dressings of dung, as in this way an equal, if not actually greater weight of crop can be obtained at a decidedly smaller cost, while the quality is also infinitely superior. As regards the best method of placing the manure, I find that it is usual, where the soil is of a light description, to place it beneath the sets, and where it is of a clayey or heavy character, above them, and looked at from the semi-scientific point of a practical grower, this is probably correct. The drills, or furrows, may be taken out with a spade, or in. dealing with very light soils, with a heavy hoe; in field culture the ridging plough is employed, as much more rapid than hand labour, and equally effective. If the sets are to be placed beneath the manure the depth of furrow of about 6in will suffice, but if they are to be laid over the dung, the furrow® ought to be rather deeper—Bin to lQin at least. The early varieties, which only make a moderate amount of growth, as a rule will succeed with a distance of 27in to 30m only between the rows, according to the character of the soil, hut vigorous later or main crop kinds, whose haulm is unusually strong and tall, ought to have at least 3ft between the rows, and in some cases 3|ft would he found none too much. From set to set in the rows, allow 9in Or 10in for the early sorts, and 12in or rriore for the robust later kinds.

lief erring again to artificial fertilisers, the grower’s sheet-anchor should be superphosphate of lime of the best quality obtainable. On some soils bone meal affords equally good and even better re■nits, but in most cases the superphoe-

phate has really a marvellous effect on the crops, especially if applied freely, from 4cwt to 6cwt per acre being a perfectly safe and profitable quantity. Ammonia in some form is also necessary; either nitrate of soda or ammonia sulphate will supply this, and either should be sprinkled evenly between the rows just before the last earthing up, at the rate of 2cwt to 3cwt per acre. On light soils the soda usually affords the best results, as being like salt, more retentive of moisture, but otherwise the ammonia contains a larger percentage of nitrogen—the active principle. A certain amount of potash is also necessary, and may he supplied by means of burnt earth or wood ashes, kainit, or the nitrate or sulphate of potash. Kainit dissolves slowly, and should he applied in the early spring.—“ Practical,” in “Farm, Field and Fireside.”