THE CONTRIBUTOR.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1033, 12 August 1879, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE CONTRIBUTOR.

tele culture uf potatoes. It has often struck its too little | attention is given in thi3 Colony to the cnttarc of potatoes. True many growers proceed upon something like a well-defined antl well-understood plan* but the majority of those who cultivate the esculent bulb follow a very haphazard system of doing their work. Some almost neglect manure, and many overdose the land with it, while few seem to strike the happy medium. In many other ways the systems adopted arc altogether different, and there seems very great need lor some well-grounded line of procedure being laid down and followed. Too little attention, «3 we have already slid, is given to the sxtbject, and it would be well if some of our more thoughtful and know-ledge-seeking cultivators would practieally test various modes of proceeding, and, carefully noting the results, make them known to their less thoughtful brethren. It is only by this means that useful knowledge can be acquired. Many of our readers have very probably pooh-poohed the idea of going to any trouble with a view to benefiting others. This is the purely selfish way of looking at the matter. Vv'e hold that it is the duty, and should be the aim of every farmer to make himself thoroughly wollversed in everything appertaining to his calling, and to make known to his fellow farmers each new problem solved. It is only by this means that the occupation of a farmer can be raised above one of common drudgery. At present we fear there is a | very great lack of a proper t.tprtt de corp.* amongst cultivators. The result is that everyone follows his own particular notion of what is right, and leaves hi 3 neighbors to do likewise. Ideas are thus cramped and practical knowledge limited. There should be a thorough interchange of ideas and | experiences, and by this means each and all ! would become possessed of a greater fund of 1 useful information, and naturally become richer tu pocket, let brotherly love prevail ! amongst cultivators of all kinds, and everyone display a desire to obtain and spread | useful knowledge amongst his fellows, and tabor would become less irksome, yields irreater, and profits much more regular and larger. We have slightly digressed from the subject with which we started, and perhaps owe our readers an apology for keeping them waiting for our remarks upon potato culture. We have already stated that too little care is given to the growing of potatoes —one of the best paying crops that can be raised—and we think our readers will agree with us. In very many cases the whole process is reduced to ploughing and planting. Now, after the land has been ploughed, it should either be cross-ploughed or well torn to pieces with a cultivator or strong harrow, in order that there should be as few impediments as possible, iu the shape; of large lumps, to the free and regular growth of the young butb. The land should be manured with care and judgment, for the potato can have too much of a good thing. A superabundance of manure, especially rank farmyard manure, invariably begets coarse, illahapen, and bad keeping potatoes. Superphosphate of lime is highly preferable to farm-yard manure, for it is better suited to the requirements of the tuber. It is moderate in price, and easily applied. The land having been thoroughly well prepared, the seed for the larger varieties should be planted in drills 30 inches apart, and the sets about from 12 to 15 inches. Where the land is inferior, or dwarf sort 3 are being sown, the drills and seta should be reduced. Directly the ptanta begin to show through the ground the land should be tilled between the drilts, and a slight hilling given. This operation may be repeated again in three or four weeks with very decided advantage. The tilling of the Land during the growth of the plant has the very profitable effect of loosening the soil round the young tuber and admitting to- it air and moisture, with their wondrous fertilising ctfects. Here such a system as that named followed the yield of potatoes per acre in the district would be fully doubled, while but little more labor would be necessary.

Now, let «a any a few words with reference to the selection of soed potatoes, and their treatment. This is an important part of the cultivation of potatoes, and one upon which some difference of opinion exists —a difference of opinion rendered more strong owing to the difficulty of convincing many growers that the plan long followed in the Home Country, and transplanted in the Colonies, is capable of improvement. They cannot be brought to acknowledge that a system which has been followed, successfully we grant, in the Old World, from year to year, from time immemorial, is a mistaken one, in some respects at any rate. There is ever a hard struggle before old-established prejudices can be thoroughly overcome and a new order of things established. In no particular is prejudice more strong in relation to the culture of potatoes than in regard to the selection and cutting of seed. Few indeed, for instance, can be brought to recognise the fact that large, wholesome, and healthy potatoes can be grown from small tubers. The majority of potato cultivators persist in affirming that like produces like, and that if small seed is used nothing but arnal! potatoes will be obtained in return ; and it is impossible to get thoae persons to test, by means of experiments, the correctness of the opinions of those who hold the contrary to be the case. Neither is it possible to induce them to accept the results of experiments made by others as conclusive 1 evidence. Thus it is that errors committed by our forefathers have been perpetuated year after year until the prejudice is difficult to upset. A matter of custom thus becomes, as it were, a recognised law amongst those who have not the inclination to endeavor to effect improvements, or to accept an opinion contrary to that established by long habit. The Sydney Town and Country Journal has of late devoted a considerable amount of a Mention to the subject, and lias adduced vu rj etroug and pungent arguments against the correctness of the theory endeavored to be sv rtp that healthy potatoes cannot be obtain.'**l from small seed. Our contemporary * remarks are so trite and appropriate that we usake no apology for reprinting them in. rcUu-n merely remarking that we fully concur iu all that is adduced. The Journal

saya : . Some writers on potato culture in th.a Colony have s aid wnall seed potatoes should never be used- "It has been foujid, saj they, " that- v arieties grown trom tlus J»md

of seed soon ran oat, and one can easily see a connection between the facts which was equivalent to cause and effect. Experience in the use of medium sized tubers compared with that of others in the useof small ones has irreatly strengthened this conviction. Half "-Town <:irs of corn would not be con- ■ uitaMe for seed, but one cannot ate [ tt-ii v they are not jtut as good as half-grown potatoes. If like produces like in one case ft will in the other." This is utter nonsense. If the potato tuber have properly (not prematiirclv) r ji'-ncd. the smallness is no consequence whatever so far as the prouueo from it -s is ocnoornvd. The writer has confounded seeds with buds. W lien plant a potato set v.e do practically the prime thine as when we set a vine cutting. T'nc bads in each case grow and reproduce the original variety —the parent plant not a new one. In the case of seed com, or anj other crop raised from Heed proper, a new tni'tvid - al is produced from every se--d that trows. The re.-nths m.iy%c as various as the number of seeds, and there may be varieties both inferior and superior to the parent p'ant But in the case of the potato set and the vine cutting no new variety, no new individual, can result. The new plants raised from either are mere multiplications of the original, just as with cuttings of fuchsias, geraniams, or any other plant proii3"ated by cuttings, layers, or division ot roots or parts. If the potato tuber were . but the size of a pea, it would, nnder similar circumstances, produce fac similes of its parent, and fac similes of the larger tubers produced by the same plant which produced it. If it had not ripened properly or was in anv wav imperfect and yet should giou, t won!i" eventually be indistinguishable from other tubers of the same origin, though time miidit be required to restore it to normal health. Some year* ago Mr. Henry Ilarl-ery, of Sutton Forest, reported to the then Agricultural .Society that he had tried the small refuse seed potatoes, on an extensive scale, against the larger selected tuber?. lie Slid the resnlt was such that he should alwavs use the previously discarded tubers in future. If anything, the crop from the small tubers had the best of it. If this is so, or is equal, which is more reasonable, it is clear that from an economic point of view the small seed should be preferred. But as we have already said, it is wise to talcc a medium course. The chances arc that among the very small tubers some will be found" which have not ripened well, so that this would have to be looked to Again, as to cutting the sets some iiine before planting, there are many who think it is absolutely necessary to cut the sets a w cek, at the verv least-, before planting them. This is the' practice in the old country, and it has been blindly followed here by all except the few who have been more than ordinarilv observant. In soils of a loose texture—the best for this crop—and in fact all soils when diT and dry windy weather follows the cuttitg and planting, the consequence of keeping the cut Sj.cts for a eek, or a month, as frequently hajipejis, a \crj large portion of the sets will fail to grow. We have on various occasions seen from 25 to 59 per cent, of the sets fail from this cause though the growers attributed the failure to anv other. W c do not mean to say that the drying (or keeping to dry) the cut sets alwavs, or even often. cause 3 extensive failure : but wc do say that it sometimes does, and there is always a risk. V* hether it is a fungus, or what is the cause, wc cannot say, but the ?ets get what is called '• dry rot/' and perish betoic they have fanned li > c new Over and over again we have known this to be the ease by actual trial—a few rows of sets cut and kept planted alongside of sets cut and planted on the same day. There are growers of long standing who, at certain times, would rather throw away than plant any sets that may have remained over from the previous day s planting. This may be going to extremes, vet it is reasonable to suppose that experience with their land had taught them to be careful in that respect. The Sact is that even in the old country the practice of cutting the | sets some time previous to planting them is a positive disadvantage so far as their growth is concerned. The real reason for Srving tiie sets, and which iirst introduced it, was economy in labor. Th:: work of cutting the sets can be performed under cover, at nL'ht, or during wet weather, when the men could not be employed planting, or at other j out-door work. The cutting of sets occupies considerable time, and therefore the work was performed when most convenient, and not bv anv means because it was thought that the sets would be better for drying after beius; cut. In copying the Home plan, therefore,Ve have made a mistake, as many have also done there. In reJening to this subject, we find the following conclusive sentence, in Ihompson's Gardener's Assistant, universally acknowledged as a standard j '• Others cut the nets and dry them before planting, but this does not appear to be of any advantage; on the contrary, many of the dried sets do not push at all, and others but weakly." This is just our experience, and what we have been contending for, aud yet we find colonial writers contiually recommending the drying of the sets alter cutting aud before planting. Our recommendation is to plant immediately after cutting the sets. Injury will result—the vigor of the sets will be diminished—every hour of delay that occtt:*3 between the two operations ; and very perceptibly in windy drying weather. If for the sake of economising labor it be found convenient to cut the sets some considerable time previous to planting, then we ?ay. most decidedly, do so ; but be careful to cover them with moist material, sod, moist nahes, or moist sand, as .->oon as they are cut. It is reasonable to conclude that i; drying the sets before planting in England, Scotland, or Ireland prevents many of them from rrowing, and causes others to make aweakl} growth, the iujury here will be comparatively greater, from the much more drying nature of our atmosphere, and particularly the prevailing strong wiiuls experienced in the planting season. Caretul planters, we have known in this colony, take care to keep the sets protected from the wind as much as possible while the process of planting is going on, and the sets already in the field, though only cut an hour or two before.