POTATO GROWING

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6490, 9 April 1908, Page 3

POTATO GROWING

SOME PRACTICAL OPINIONS. Ono of tho most progressive and successful potato cultivators in the Dominion is Mr E. H. McGowan, of IVillow Bridge, South Canterbury, and ho is one of those valuable members of the rural community who is over ready to give to others the lessons or his wide experience and numerous experiments. During the past season Mr McGowan has cultivated 183 different varieties, and in a very interesting' interview with a representative of the "Lyttelton Times* he ■gives tho result of his great tost.

SOME ADVICE. "In tho first place/’ said Mr McGowan, "I would like to say something that might come in useful at this time of the year, when growers arG preparing to lift their tubers. Many growers wall bo greatly disappointed -when they commence digging to find their crops much lighter than they anticipated, oven wiiero tho haulms look strong and give every indication of a fair crop. In some cases they will find the yield poor, /nearly all tho tubers being only of seed size, and a largo number only fit for feeding to tho pigs. This, of course, is duo to the very dry season. The days of excessive heat experienced wilted the haulms and as a natural result tho tubers also suffered. Some varieties will stand tho heat and drought hotter than others. Those with good records I will refer to later, in order to enable readers to form an opinion as to what kind is likely to give the best jloturns. Of course, some of those ■with strong haulms and every indication of a good crop will likely prove disappointing at digging time, for all growers with experience know that heavy haulms do not always yield heavy crops, though they generally do. There cannot be a heavy crop without good 'haulms. Northern Star, Eldorado, British Queen and several other varieties require a moist soil, indeed very few varieties will do well on a dry soil or in a year of drought. A few of those which do fairly well under such auditions are: Princess Victoria, Zion House, Shamrock, Ranfurly and Up-to-Date. These also do well in a moist season. I might add to thee© Breeze Prolific Sutton's Abundance, Lord Roberts, Bruce, and Early Favourite. SUTTON'S VARIETIES. "My experimental plot was planted on November 2. but if tho planting had been done six weeks earlier tho appearance and yields would undoubtedly have : been much better, though some new ranotios received from Messrs Sutton and Sons late in the season and planted on December 26 are looking better than any others I have growing. Of 'course, this is easily accounted for. Tho late rains coming in time to promote their

growth, Ihev now cmry an abundance of blooms on luxuriant hruibne throe f-.at high. My ,oil is a rich sandy !wjh, which in ordinary Mfoas produces heavy crops, so.nei iraoa I ’ ri . 1 P tweiii vv-ovfr lons per aero. I UunJC there"ie every probability of a shortage of table potatoes this year, and unless Tasmania in a large quantity prices will probably be very high. A PRACTICAL OPINION.

“1 havo not made notes on the tubers imported from Great Britain, for these arrived late. They were planted on Dcciunber °(i and aro onlv now in bloom, i’liev aro all showing splendid strong haulms, and give every indication of "iviii" a Imavv crop if the frosts are Tate. ” hi Ihwo 1 have the Blue Giant. Tho*o lio are well np in potato liter a-, Puro wills know Hi at ithia variety is now being closely associated with the Soiamun Comine-rsonii (violet) in England Germany and France. Before concluding. I would again urge potato grow-i ors to find out which variety will emit' their climate and .soil, and then keepto that variety. Why keep on growing three or four tons per ncro when you might, by careful selection, grow four times as many and of a better quality? If you saw my field plots you would be convimced how useless it and how much is lost by planting varieties which do not suit tho roil. I have Princes® Victoria, which will yield twelve tons per acre, while in the same field and with the same cultivation and planted the same week. I havo British Queen, Carmen, Ninelyfold and twenty other varieties, covering probably ten acres, which will not yield three tons per acre. This means a "loss of nine tons on the ten acres, .and with potatoes at £o per ton, which ’they are now, this gives a totalloss of about -£l5O. Working expensesare heavier where the crop is poor, for,, with the strong and vigorous haulms of the Princess Victoria the weed® are smothered, and where tho haulms are weakly and small the weeds are continually growing. With my three years' experiments 1 am now firmly con viced that no tuber rot imported equals the Princess Victoria, and my main crop in the future will be of this variety/'