CROPPING RUGBY PARK

Taranaki Daily News, 3 August 1932, Page 2

CROPPING RUGBY PARK

COMMITTER’S PLAN CRITICISED. REPLY MADE BY THE CHAIRMAN. “If I can get the seed and ths manure I will guarantee to grow the potatoes,” said Mr. J. Brown, chairman of the ■North Taranaki Unemployment Committee, yesterday when he was shown a letter which appeared in Monday's News criticising the committee’s scheme for re-planting Rugby Park this season. The letter stated, inter alia: “I see the relief committee is getting in touch with Mr. J. McLeod regarding planting Rugby Park with potatoes. If they cannot make a better success than they did last year I would advise them sincerely to leave it alone. Anyway, .1 strongly object to any more public money being thrown away trying to grow potatoes in solid clay, where even sorrel or any kind of weed will not grow. There was great blow and brag about the crop when they grew last year. It was stated in the Press that 100 sacks were taken off when the crop was half dug. They forgot to tell the public those sacks were sugar bags a quarter full. 1 have grown a lot of potatoes in my time, but the crop they grew here last season should have got the red ticket —pig and fowl feed in all its glory.” Last year- 8 tons 14cwt of potatoes were taken off the ground, said Mr. Brown. Ho had not been in control of the work then but he believed that if the plants had been weeded and banked up more the crop would have been greater than it was. , The area was well covered with black earth and quite suitable for cropping. The smaller potatoes, which were fed to the pigs on the Hospital Board’s farm, were not included, in the eight tons estimate of eating potatoes, which were used in the hospital and by relief workers. That the quality of the potatoes was good was shown by the fact that the relief workers came back for more and twice as many potatoes could have ibeen disposed of if the quantity had been on hand.