Hints About Potatees.

Waikato Times, Volume XLII, Issue 3391, 24 March 1894, Page 3

Hints About Potatees.

'' A method of keeping potatoes from sprouting' is ■> given! by Professor. ■ W. 1 A. Zanders of ; Fresno, county as;follows;—; 1 * Sf rink]e ( them wit)j fine dairy,salt, just enough so that an at'oir! of the salt will'get info every potato eye, and I'll warrant .them beyer to sprout; The salt also seems to exert" antiseptic 'properties'in prolongs, ing the time that the potatoes will keep in perfect 1 After you|re sure tha| a minute speck/of and eyejoii' can 'sack"'or pile,l or keep in anytconvenient way." '- American farmer writes:—" I hate stored potatoes that were largely infested with grub worms, that hud buried themnelves in the heart ofth'etuberH. Uf"uaHyt .thelargeft.potafoes areltke ones L chosenl .by the grub., My remedy for this, which has '•■ always'.: proved • effective, was 25 lime per acre, spread evenly or sowed broada&t by hand over the surface 'of; fresh ;'plonghsd| soil, and thoroughly worked in'jusf before' After potatops are stored, a sure and effective ;dißinfectant,;which ( ;ißideathdo all cvermin arid fun»us, and (\yhic& brings' forth all tiiberajjn the|spfingin the best possible fresh unslac&dHirie; §Keeplit; in boxes o| naiMeggjiil find, do the work very we'll. . Keep them replenished as fast as the lime isislacked. This absorbs all .the; moisture, and keeps the potatoes dry aad fresb. I also every lO.days. pr.rtwo '.weeks close /the, cellar .tightly aui fumigate with sulphV'by using ati' old kettle with shavings in it, and the sulphur sifted over tho shavings. Firing this will 'so, penetrate eyery ; .part of the cellar, and store room as to destroy every living thing, and will also add largely to the keeping qualities of the potatoes!^lT;H'Wl ?j'A

.. A Warrnaanbool potato-grower has made an experiment with a small crop of gunilar that tried; in Fran<je<; with 'sjrtrn' lid 'results. • Some-l^months^ ~ajßfP,he,adopted the following system:— /Used sound potatoes of medium size, and planted,them whole, first ploughing, the . ground very deeply, fief ore ; planting he steeped the tubers for 24 hours in a bath composed of sulphate of ammonia and nitrate of ; potash/of each 1 . 61b. itoj 25gal. of water; then he allowed them to stand 5 24 hours before planting. On digging the potatoes last week the result of the .experiment was at once apparent. There were from 30 to 40 large tubers on each stallc] arid: : a little > patch 16ft. by< 9ft/ yielded 1801b. 1 net, being equal toi 24 tons ficwr. 18lb. per acre. An adjacent plot of ground was planted in the ordinary way, and gave a yield,of 7 tons, per aore, ■'-' '■' '■ ■' ' "' ' ! l l '' '■ '■