BRITISH POTATO NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2661, 15 March 1905, Page 9

BRITISH POT ATO NOTES.

The potato boom (says an English •exchange) has not yet run its course in Lincolnshire, and a well-known cultivator, Mr T. A. Scarlett, visiting Sp&lding weekly market, was subjected to much good-natured chaff as to the single tuber he paid £20 for to Mr Findlay. the originator of the Northern Star and Eldorado varieties. Mr Scarlett said he had since been offered £25 for this potato, bat he had refused tho offer. As, however, the would-be purchaser was very pressing, he allowed, him to cut out a single eyo for the sum oi £5. This is probably th© first time in the history of the potato that a single eye from one has had a banknote value.

Messrs S. E. Dean and Sons, of Dowsby Hall, arranged some competition* imongst potato growers last spring, and offered three valuable silver cups to the grower who should produce the greatest weight of Northern Stars from seed supplied by them in different classes. The result of these competitions has iust been announced. The winner of the £10 prize- for growing the greatest weight from 71b of seed is Mr George Morris, Rose Cottage, Robe-ton, near JMllford Haven, who raised 15cwt 3qr 211b. This is an extraordinary crop, seeing that the grower produced this weight from between 200 and 250 roots. The winner of the £5 prize for growing the greatest weight from 21b of seed is Mr Charles Coupland, of Folkingham, who grew scwt lqr 171b ; and the winner of the £3 prize for tho greatest weight from lib of seed is Mr J. Plowright, of Aslackb}'. Messrs Dean and Sons state that it is their intention to offer silver cups again this year to growers cf the Daimeny Radium and Dalmeny Acme potato?s. — Mark Lane Express.

All thinas considered, last year was a good one* for potatoes, and crops were mere satisfactory than they have been for c ome years past. All the same wo did not grow all the potatoes consumed in the country by a long way, as figures in the Board ot Trade returns show that we imported over ten million hundredweights, which represented a money value of over two millions sterling. Of course the above quantity included the new potatoes, v hich cannot be produced at Horn© in sufficient weight to compete with import-, from abroad, but the figures show that there i* still room for the development of potato culture a- a homo industry. Potato-growing has certainly wakened up during the past few years, but perhaps the activity has been, more in the development of now and lush priced varieties than for the pup^ly of tho market. We think, however, that the boom Ins seen its palmy day^ (many speculators in boomed varieties burnt their fingers last year), and with a number of good varieties to work with it is likely that growers will cease to try and make fortunes quickly out of novelties, but settle down ap.ain to growing potatoes for the million. — Ibid. By direction of Mr Titu-. Kime, the wellknown potato grower of Mareham, Mr J. Eley on January 18 offered ior «ale by auction at Boston 9cwt of Ekloiado potatoes, the whole of whkh were sv.uianiccd

i ho. produce of Eldorpdo potatoes supplied by Mr A Findlay, of Mairsland, Auchtermuchty, and grown in Lincolnshire. Mr EV3- saul tho 9o>vt of potatoes were a 2JOi ucu of half a ton which were the S'lbjcfl matter of a ("impute in the. High Court, which dispute had been settled on anvcablo terms, and the potatoes would be offered in onc-stoi.e lots and .-old w thout re s er\c. Ho remarked that thii half-ton of potatoes cosb £1500. The fiist lot was knocked down to Mr T. Dennis who took 20 stones at 27s 6d per stone : 111L 1 W. Demi's took 20 stone- at 325; and Mr T. D&niiia.at 30s p- r stoi:e : Mr W. Farr bought a stone for 31s ; Mr J. P. Cnrttr two stones at 3" s ; Mr T. Deir'is another ~tone at 345; Mr W. Bradley one stone for 32.* ; Mr T. P. Saul one stone for 31s; Mr J. P. Carter two stones at 31s; MiBen Simons one stone for 31s ; Mr W. Dennis took 20 stones at 325 ; and Mr T. Baldcrson took the remaining four s ones at 34s Mr E'ey also offered a small lot belonging to Mr Dibble, of Blytcn, bin they wore not sold, tbe highest bid being lit. for half a stone. There were no offeis for Sir John Llewellyns. — Jbid.

At the annual re-union of the Darlington (Yoiksh-ire) Farmers' Protection Association last week (%ays the North British Agriculturist of January 25), some very emphatic statements were made by the principal speakers in regard to the "fancy potato' trade. The Chairman (Mr Georgs Snurthwaite) said he wanted to give thtm a wo.d or warning in regard to the potato boom. Last spring there were men going about praising up fancy potatoes, for which they wanted £20 a piece. He advised them not to be gulled by these fancy potatoes. He had been fool enough to give £9 per ton for some potatoes, with the result tiia-t they were unpaid for yet. — (Laughter.) — He had offered to soil the whole crop which they had produced for the price he paid for the ton, giving the land and the manure in with the bargain. Mr Christopher Middleton said that, with regard to the- potato boom, it had done more harm to potatogrowing in the country than the potato disease when it was introduced. He believed it was now pretty well played out, and the sooner it was played out the better. Captain Lilly, president of the Stockton Chamber of Agriculture, who spoke at a later stage of th? meeting, said that last spring he had paid £2 10s for half a potato which had only two sprouts. His gardener planted it in virgin soil, manured it, enclosed it with wire, and carefully watched it. When the timo for gathering came he got four t;ny potatoes called Eldorado. They had been carefully taken car© of, and what they would get next year he did not know. H& hael come to the conclusion that the Ices one had to do with high-priced potatoes the better. Professor Gilchrist. of the Durham College of Science, said that last year ho had given theon a word of warning about the potato boom, and had predicted that there would soon be- lower prices for those high-priced tubers. Last year at Cockle Park they grew a large number of different varieties alongside each other under exactly the same conditions, and he c"id not think they would be surprised when he told them lhat soffe of the old-fashioneel potatoes had made a very honourable stand alongside some of the new ones. They had done more than that. They had collected full statistics this summer as to the times of flowering, the times of ripening, a.nd the potatoes had also be&n tested as to their cooking qualities. They hoped ere long to publish a report on these trials.