EXPERIMENTS WITH NORTHERN STAR POTATOES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2677, 5 July 1905, Page 7

EXPERIMENTS WITH NORTHERN STAR POTATOES.

"J. 8. sends the following interesting note in connection with an experiment made this season with Northern Star potatoes : — I procured lib weight of tubers, whi.-h I cut into 17 ?ets. and planted at a distance of 16in apart in the row. The boil wa,s exceptionally good, and I manured it lightly with well-rotted litter All the sets came away splendidly, the haulms being robust and the leav-ss very healthy throughout the season, not a trace of blight or fungoid disea-->e showing upon them. 1 examined ono or two sets when J knew* tubers had formed, and I then discovered that the tubers first formed had thrown off a rootlet some sin in length, at the end of which another tubei 1 was forming. As this appeared' to be the manner of sup-er-tuberation, I feared its effect- on the qualny of the potato, thinking 1 , of course, that this supertuberation could only take place and be sustained at the expense of the quality of each successive parent tuber. In several instances I found the connecting rcctlet tearing: tuberous formation* along its entire length, and where those were so placed as to be near the surface of the drill they were inclined to strike root and set up a haulm on their own account. Other growers to whom I have spoken on the matter aWure me that their experiences ha-ve been similar to mine in th.s respect.

As regards productiveness, I am of opinion that the Up to Dale potato will prove itself to be equally as good as the Northern Star, provided growers ar& careful in the selection of tubers foi" seed. From the lib of Northern Star I obtained 2?slb, while from a similar weight of Up to Date tubers I obtained 6S^lb three years ago. I think the- haulms of the Northern Star will resist disease and drought better than the Up to Date, as the former appeals to have better i*cot action, and is consequently more robust- in growth. Owing, however, to the manner of supcrtuberation characteristic of the Star, I fear tho tuber will be most susceptible to black spot, and I have no hesitation in stating it as my opinion that this disease will prevent the Northern Star «ver becomins: a favourile with growers. The Magnum Bonum, which is a splendid cropper, has almost gone otv of cultivation, owing to it being subjectto black spot and streak. In ground where the Magnum Bonum may be badly diseased, the Up to Date will bo found thoroughly sound and free of spot; therefore I think the latter potato is a disease resi-nei to a certain extent.

Jn the dry mineral soils of Otago Central we rarelY raise heavy crops of Dotatoes,

although the quality of the tubers is invariably good. Owing to lack of railway communication with. Duuedin, settlers have never attempted ' the use of artificial manures in the cultivation of the soil ; therefore our light lands have- been impoverished by each^ successive crop taken off without anything being returned in the form of manure. I know lands that have yielded fairly good crops of oats during 10 years in succession without a particle of manure being put- on the soil. I think, however, that the water used for irrigating 1 the land must hold! a high percentage of lime in solution, thus, to some extent, supplying a, necessary stimulant annually to the growing crops. When farmers in Otago Central have the railway at their door 3 they will be in a position to obtain artificial manure at a fair cost, when._ no doubt, they will become- competitors in the produce markets of Dunedin, especially with onions, fruits, and potatoes.