A VISIT TO MESSRS POAD & SONS POTATO FIELDS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2647, 7 December 1904, Page 21

A VISIT TO MESSRS POAD & SONS POTATO FIELDS.

(Linooln Free Press, October 18.) Taking a leading- place in the van of enterprise in the development of the potato industry are Messrs Isaac Poad and Sons, "Walmgate, York, who. by dint of careful experiment and judicious selection have shown what really can be done in the way of Dotato-_rowin_. 'At the present time

they have some hundreds of acres of potatoes growing in Scotland, in the neighbourhood of Perth and Dundee, as well as numerous fields round about York and district, varying from one to 20 acres in size. It was the privilege of the writer to visit some of t the potato • fields which Messrs Poad have in cultivation this year in the neighbourhood of York. They have an excellent crop of Northern Star. In one fteld visited, * 6cwt were planted to tho acre, a 9 against 18cwt to 20cwt of the older kinds. It was, indeed, found in some esses that a single eye of the Northern Star variety produced as heavy a yield as whole tubers of some oPthe other varieties. This, in itself, should recommend the tuber , to the farmers, and when we add that in not; a single instance was there a trace of disease evident, it will be strange if Uiis prolific and vigorous variety does. not become universally popular with the farmer At Langwith the sa-ine firm have several o. the latest and best varieties under cultivation, ..and a few facts about them may prove of interest! There were some earlier planted Northern Stars, which showed even I better results than those planted at a later . elate. From one piece cut off a tuber 43 1 potatoes of splendid quality were grown, ■ and one did not 1 require to be am 'agriculturist to note 'tha vast superiority of I thus variety over the old-fashioned Up-to-Dates. A walk across a oouple of fields brings us to a busy hive of industry, where Messrs Poad's workers are bringing their . baskets of Royal Kidneys to the store. In this field some of the- potatoes were grown from warp land, and some from Scotch seed, but all over the 11-acre field one found uniform good quality and large size. lam Gray, or Sfim Gray, is another tuber winch is being developed by the firm. From I ISc-wfc of seed there is a return of about ;, 12 tons per acre. The potatoes are regular |' in - growth, weigh very heavily, have a . beautiful skin, and - are altogether of ex- ' | cellent quality. They a.re fitted for a lig\ht i soil, and are well adapted for garden as I well a® field cultivation. i i Bold and of very pretty shape is tlie , King Edward VII variety, which Messrs j ; Poad are growing with much success. The : firm has also a well-stocked "pie" of the Sir i Jchn Llewellyn, wliioli, when cooked, in a i ir.obt delightful potato, and has given excellent ! rejAilts this year. Another potato of South ! descent whioh is being cultivated 1 by Messrs i Poad is Dobbie's Factor, which, has many ] characteristics akin to the Duchess of Cornwall tuber. Th, ; s potato is well worthy of j the attention of farmers working on sandy 1 ,or _ medium soils. We understand this i variety can now be procured at the rate ! ' of :S5 per ton. j I In another direotioii Messrs Poad have anJ j extensive field in wliich several new kinds ] > of potatoes are hejng: experimented with. • A splendid tuber is the Evergood, wliich a rough skin and 1 shallow eyes, and is of really excellent calibre. The seed came •from Lord Roseberry's Dalmeny estate, and is suited for good-bodied land* Two contiguous roots produced 24- and 39 tubers respectively, which were of fine even shape. Another heavy cropper was the Empress Queen. A very early potato is Sutton's Xinety-fold variety, which were in the i "pie," dry, clean, and in beautiful con- ! dition. * 1 During the day the writer was s>hown some of the new Eldorado potatoes, the seed of which last year commanded more than its i v/?ight in gold. A root dug up showed 14 i good sizedvtubers of beautiful shape "and fine j netted skins giving indications of rare ! quality. Messis Poad are propagating" one j or two other new varieties, which will in i due course be placed on the market.