ROOT GROWING CONTEST

Taranaki Daily News, 17 July 1930, Page 19

ROOT GROWING CONTEST

OHU'RA DISTRICT RESULTS.

The extension of the root crop competitiona to Ohura did i-ot meet with the .success hoped for. The work undertaken was to determine, if possible, what effect the treatment of swcdo seed with a 5 per cent, solution of Someson had on the incidence of dry rot. Forty-five boys and girls entered for the work, but at the first visit of the instructors, 19 of these plots were not in existence. Many of these had not. been planted, and eight had failed because the competitors had not carried out the instructions given. At the time of judging only 17 plots were left in. A few were cut out because they bad not grown four plots, some good at the first visit had been destroyed by stock, and some had just been neglected. Thus, only 37.7 per cent, of the entrants completed the work. This is a disappointment, but steady propaganda will better matters and the second year’s work should show a definite improvement.

The results of the work aro inconclusive. The averages are as follow.’— Treated seed, 34 tons per acrej untreated seed, 33 tons 3cwt per. acre. No great difference in the amount of rot was noticeable in most individual plots. This may have been because competitors were not warned that the disease could he spread by contact. One . very. Interesting plot was weighed up. .

At the Niho Niho School instructions were given, the two areas were separated by a space of four feet, and cultivation was invariably carried out in the treated area first, so that the disease could not be carried by contact. At judging time the treated area contained no diseased roots, while the untreated area had lost approximately 50 per cent, of the roots and 45 per cent of the remaining roots were diseased. The difference in weight in this plot, six tons in an average yield of 19 tons, does not quite represent the true position, as poor growth, due to soil and climatic conditions, was evident. The incidence of disease in such an extent in the untreated area, in contract to the absolutely clean treated area, is illuminating and suggests that carefully controlled work would, in another year, vindicate the treatment as a method of control for this disease.

While tho cultivation was good in a number of plots, most of the competitors have yet to learn that the work in the early part of the season is most important. Thinning should be carried out when the plants are in the four leaves stage, and transplanting when the roots are as big as marbles. The best kept plot was, in the opinion of the judges, that of Jack Dougherty, of Turoto. The awards are as follows —

ißuth Shields, Rauateti, IbliJ points 1 Jack Dougherty, Turoto, 142 J points 2 Doug. Mossman, Waikaka, 131 J pointe 3

(Continued from page 18) i CARROTS. - R. I. GROUP III. M. W. Average Cult Qual Ch. Test T t. c t. c. t. c. Toko— Bessie Jones .... 47 17 58 10 53 34 18 7 19 20 117 Robert Anderson 48 17 49 10 49 34 20 9 19 19 116 Willie Lister .... 20 17 20 7 23 12 18A 74 18 16 83) Rawhitiroa — Bernard Bootten . 24 8 35 13 30 1J 20 8 16 14 88 Mangamingi — Lionel Pennington 41 15 46 12 44 34 18 84 194 15 105 Joan Pennington 30 12 37 18 37 5 18 84 19J 19 1021 Kapuni — Reuben Broomfield 16 '1 16 1 16 1 18 7 10 14 65 Harry Broomfield 18 12 15 8 17 0 18 7 10 12 64 Auroa — Louie Muggeridge 50 9 72 6 61 74 20 7 15 18 1213 Les King 40 10 48 4 44 7 19 7 18 18 1063 Edna Whiting ... 28 5 39 4 33 m 15 64 16 14 85 Eunice Mellor ... 25 14 19 18 22 16 13 5 17 144 72| Finnerty Road — Olive Wall 21 17 32 15 27 6 17 74 11 — Bird Road — John Murphy ... . 19 5 25 14 22 9| 16 0 14 lit Group Averages: Red Intermediate, 31 tons Matchless White, 39 tons. Crop Averages: 34 tons 9 cwt. Group Winners: Louis Muggeridge, Auroa 61 tone 7 4 cwt. 10 cwt. 121J points Bessie Jones, Toko—53 tone 34 cwt. Robert Anderson, Toko—49 tone 34 cwt. CARROTS. GROUP IV. R, I. M. W. Average Cult 117 110 Qual Ch. points pointe Test TL Te Kiri— Nigel Watson ... t. 33 0. 15 t. 54 c. t. C. 0 43 174 19 8 17 15 102J Hector Coxhead . 32 9 40 3 36 6 17 8 18 16 95 J Cardiff — Lorna Hollins .,. 25 14 32 2 28 18 17 74 11 144 Dorothy Hollins 32 15. 27 0 29 17J 17 74 10 13 .772 Stratford — Hugh Paynter ... 45 0 50 2 47 11 19 84 13 15 103 Russell Aitken .. 25 1 31 16 28 84 15 7 11 15 76£ Huinga— George Loring ... 60 15 62 13 61 14 20 9 174 174 1254 Pembroke Road—> Andy Aldridge ., > 33 2 46 12 39 17 17 6 16 15 93£ R. Windmer .... 24 2 33 15 28 184 16 7 164 13 804 Opunake Convent— Sid Holmes ..... 30 10 40 3 35 64 14 7 16 17 89J Mahoe — Gordon Cave ... 35 17 42 .8 38 174 20 8 174 15 99| Harry Ward .... 27 6 36 19 32 24 18 8 19 18 95 John Cave ...... 27 6 35 7 31 64 20 74 174 14 902 Rueben Relf 27 6 32 2 29 .14 20 84 18 14 90 William Johnson 24 15 16 ' 1 20 8 17 64 16 18 77f Kaponga State — Ken Harding ... 36 19 32 2 34 104 19 84 13 15 90 Group Averages: Red Intermediate, 32 tons Matchless White, 39 tone 6 cwt. Crop Average, 85 tons 10 cwt. Group Winners: George Loring, Huinga—61 tons 1 4 ewt. Hugh Paynter, Stratford —47 ton# Jl cwt. Nigel Watson. Te Kiri —43 tons 1 74 cwt 12 cwt. 1254 points 103 points 102| pointe. •

3 f-l I .0 1 £ <1 S $ 1 •u 1 11 •a -U) 0 School Tons Cwt Tong Cwt Tons Cwt Tokirima—• •Gwen Olds .... 36 12 86 7 85 10 85J 88 0 15 97 i Bauateti — Buth Shields .... 0 02 1 62 10 02J 36 8 45 151J Ohura—' Elaine MeLarn .« .... 24 0 26 0 25 0 25 20 ■8 38 91 Melvin Watts ...... Niho Niho— .... 30 4 36 6 33 5 33 28 8 28 97 School Plot .... 22 ie 16 17 19 16 .38 7 64i Maurice Kelly ... .... 27 0 10 5 23 2 23 15 6 30 74 Dan Kelly ...... s .... 38 8 20 5 31 6 31 15 6 83 85 Jim Field ..... < > « ,... 28 0 31 4 29 12 29J 20 8 -— 571 Turoto — Jack Dougherty ., Mahirakau —. .... 47 5 54 0 60 12 50J 30 9 44 142J John Brears Matiere— .... 22 10 26 0 24 5 24 3'5 0 25 98 William Baker .. .... 32 3 29 0 30 11 80J 12 5 35 82i Jim Baker ....... .... 8® 17 37 8 38 12 38J 15 5 —— 6'9$ William Green ,. .... 3'1 16 39 4 35 10 35J 39 9 —— 83i Beuben Carter ... 0 1'5 8 21 4 21 86 4 5 66 Otangiwai— Jbffre Dunn ...... ..... 32 16 38 11 35 13 35J 38 6 32 Uli Waikaka— D. Mossman ...,. .... 47 0 36 12 41 30 41J 39 . 9 42 131 i William Haiti .... .... 38 2 31 16 32 9 32 St) 7 40 118