REMARKABLE POTATO GROWING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1343, 22 January 1912, Page 8

REMARKABLE POTATO GROWING.

ENGLISH COMPETITIONS. A potato-growing competition, organised by the Hallam Fields Garden Association, in England, has given exceptional results. In one section 51 members competed, each of whom was given lib. of seed of Sutton's Superlative.' Tho tubers had to be placed out of doors, and the whole operation—cutting the sets, planting, digging, and weighing the produce—was under strict supervision. Each was allowed to cut his pound of potatoes into as many sets as ho desired, the idea being to produco tho greatest weight of tubers from the pound of seed supplied. The results wero remarkable, considering tho droughty season experienced. The first prize-winner cut his pound of seed into 110 sets, which produced 1811b., while the second prize-winner only had 67 sets; vet hin produce from little more than h'nlf the number of actual roots was only 81b. behind. This result, therefore, "shows that good-sized sets produced more tubers, and of larger size, than where small potatoes or sets were planted. What is more, the opinion prevailed among the competitors that when the tubers were cut info very small sets they were more liable to diseaso, the constitution of the potato being impaired.. The lowest yield was 211b. from 30 sets. One competitor had only 1(1 sets in his pound of seed, and tlieso yielded 17ib„ or on average of over 4Jlb. to a root, while the winner of the first prize'only had an average of 111b. to a root.