POTATO GROWING

Waipa Post, Volume 45, Issue 3214, 9 August 1932, Page 8

POTATO GROWING

METHODS FOE RESULTS. Lecturing to the members of the Invercargill Garden Club recently on potato-growing Mr Arthur A. Hume, B.Ag. of the Department of Agriculture gave some useful and instructive information that with the approach of the new season should prove of interest to all folk who grow potatoes whether for use in the home or for commercial purposes. In the course of his opening remarks Mr Hume stated: Realising the admixture of varieties and their cropping power could be improved, the Department of Agriculture took the matter in hand in 1926, their aim being to place before the public a series of varieties that would be true to name, of a recognised cropping power and free from more serious diseases. The scheme has met with marked success, and the growers of this type of certified seed have found it to be a remunerative proposition There is no need, continued the speaker, to go into the procedure of the working of the scheme now; it is sufficient to say that the crops are inspected in the field in the growing stage for foliage diseases, such as blight, virus diseases, mosaic and leaf curl, black leg, also for the presence of foreign vareties. After the crop has been harvested, the tubers are inspected for diseases—scab, powdery scab, corticium disease, blight, hollow heart, mattery eye, etc.. These dual inspections are necessary before the grower can be issued with a tag to attach to the sack of his certified seed. The purchaser has then a guarantee that the sack contains a true variety free from disease, as laid down by the department’s rules governing the scheme.

Having procured good, clean seed for garden work, it is quite practical to sprout the tubers. This work is worth while; simply get a sallow box and stand the tubers on their base, leaving the “ rose ” end with the eyes upwards. Stand the boxes on a verandah or anywhere that they will not be frosted. Go over the boxes at intervals and remove any tubers show ing signs of blight, care being taken not to break any of the sprouts. By planting sprouted seed, the crop will be ready for digging very much earlier than by planting unsprouted seed. Also, there will be no blanks in the rows due to the non-growth of a diseased tuber.

The initial cultivation is usually

adhered to but the after cultivation often neglected. While the crop is growing, keep the plants well earthed up; this practice is of dual benefit, in that it keeps the drills free of weeds and it keeps the young tubers, which might protrude through the soil, from becoming green through exposure to sunlight. The choice of varieties is endless. Among the best croppers in the firstearly class at Lorneville this year were “Ally” and “Epicure”; as s second early, and quite a heavy cropper, comes “ Auckland Short Top,” which is a selection of “Sutton’s Supreme.” The early main-crop “ King Edward ”is most popular. The maincrop “ Field Marshal,” a russet potato apparently a cross between “ Golden Wonder ” and “ Up-to-Date,” yields very heavy crops. “ Kerr’s Pink,” for those who are not prejudiced again a coloured-skin potato, is a quite profitable yielding crop, and “ Arran Banner,” one of the heaviest yielding potatoes introduced in recent years, is of somewhat similar type of “'Arran Chief.”

Of the newer varieties, “ Di Vernon ” has not proved itself in any way superior to our well-known firstearly potatoes. “ Burbank ” has possibilities but it will require further trial before any definite results are attained.

The seed having been selected, the question of fertilisers crops up; the days of farm-yard manure being almust gone, one has to resort to artificial manures. For all-round garden work 3 parts superphosphate, 1 part 30 per cent potash salts, 1 part sulphate of ammonia, has given excellent results over vastly different types of soil. To those who wish to avoid blight, a simple remedy is the Burgundy mixture. One does not cure blight, it is prevented. If the crop is sprayed two or three times during the growing period on the under surface of the leaves, with a spray-pump or garden syringe the desired effect will be attained. A suitable mixture for garden work would be 21bs. of copper sulphate (bluestone), 41bs. of washingsoda, and 10 gallons of water. This mixture should be made up in a wooden or earthenware tub, as the bluestone, being acid, eats it way into metal containers and damages them. Corticium- disease is apparent on potatoes; it resembles small black specks, which can be rubbed off the skin. Tubers showing signs of this disease, or powdery scab, should not

be planted. There are methods for

the control of this latter disease by dipping the tubers in a special solution of corrosive sublimate, but it is not to be recommended to the amateur gardener.

Take pains with your cultivation, select good clean seed, and your labours will be rewarded with heavier yields.