GROWING OF POTATOES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXII, Issue 19441, 29 October 1925, Page 9

GROWING OF POTATOES

VALUE OF RIVAIRY. VICTORIAN COMPETITIONS. EARLY AND LATE CROPS. Field crop competitions have been an important factor in raising the standard of farming in Victoria. The great benefits that have accrued to the wheat and potato-growing industries is sufficient proof of their value to the State. Formerly a number of these contests were held in the potato-growing districts. but owing to the lack of support accorded them the majority have been abandoned. The fact that they are one of the best mediums of publicity for individual farmers and the part of the State in which they arc resident appears to have been overlooked.

This class of contest, not only stimulates interest, but it creates a spirit of friendly rivaly that makes for better cultural practices and a consequent increase in yields. Many of the most prosperous farmers in the Commonwealth owe their success to field crop competitions, the educational value of which is obvious and need not be stressed. The Department of Agriculture, says the Melbourne Argus, should do more to encourage provincial agricultural societies to organise competitions among farmers. Last season it was in some instances unable to provide judges for field crop competitions in the wheatgrowing- areas, which, on that account, had to be called off.

This season there is likely to be a revival in crop competitions for potatogrowers. Already the Department of Agriculture has received intimation that several agricultural societies intend including them in their schedules. At the request of the Romsey and West Bourke Agricultural Society, Mr. J. T. Ramsay, Government potato expert, recently visited Romsey, and, as the result of a consultation with the secretary of the society, the following conditions have been drawn up governing the two field crop competitions that have been arranged, one for an early and the other for a late variety or potato:—

Competitors must submit to the judge an area of not less than two acres >n extent of each variety entered for competition. An entrance fee of 10s must be paid for each two-acre lot entered. Inspection of the crops entered for competition is to be made during the period of their being in full bloom. Final judging to be done when the crops are ripe on the following scale of points:—Evenness of crop, 10 points; cleanness of crop, 10 points; quality of crop’, 35 points; weight of crop, 45 points. Possible points, 100. The weight of the crop is co be computed from the tubers harvested from one chain long of a fair average row in the crop. The prizes will bo a cup valued at five guineas as first prize; the sum of £2 as second prize, and £1 as third prize, in each of the two competitions.