POTATO CULTURE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1736, 29 April 1913, Page 10

POTATO CULTURE.

A BLIGHT-RESISTING VARIETY;' : Whilst making, some ''inquiries in -tlie/ simty of Kaotini: recently a-.representa*, •o of THE:DpiriNidN' was informed that' .farmer Some 1 four .miles from Kaetihi, e of the'leading potato giw'ersMn tho Strict, has' ; fot the past 'avo years been veloping a variety. from selection that ; said t0,,/possess, great' blight-resisting ara'cteristics,. and is also.' partially im-. iiiio'to,:tlie.:ellects of frost.,' The disvery of : tho .original: plants' from which is iniproved variety has b.MU cultivated is. the result, of observation'and selecin along the lines -followed-: at'.plant';ediiig,:stations. :: Its history may be : ' '-ily-described for the benefit of those ; f) may observe' similar Conditions in ,:>s under their care, and'the benefits it-i may bo..derived' by : judicious'-'selec-'m 'The.original*crop i'roiii which tho. »;.Vi>ved tubers-were,taken ,ivas, of the dorado variety, but the main area was dly stricken with blight, and practi-!ly-ruined. There were, however, .-.a y- plants that proved entirely -resistent, d . bore a heavy: crop. The most per!t<ot theso tubers-were -reserved'-- for ■d," and. planted the, following year,, ,eii it was found tliat- the whole crop listed the.blight. It was alsp noticed it this -particular, plot .was ..less' sus>tible to frosts .than the-remainder of f: field, which was planted, with ordin',.seed. .This process of;.selection.has iii continued till ■ tho present year, ifin a fairly large area successfully .fistood the blight, although the season s(bcen'a;bad.one/', All the other variep.J of potatoes grown on the ..same en'sjlre have beeii a failure, and mow it. the blight-resistant tubers havo.sucsiully stood a fairly good test of time, prove a very'-valuable-ac-isitiou to the seed stocks for use on a ger scale iii other districts. An officer the Department of Agriculture visited ! farm during last-week, and saw some : tlie; tubers, lifted,: and '.measures are iv being taken to ascertain tho exact of this particular seed,- and etlher it is a true Eldorado or ..a ioift." - ■ • ■ .: ':S]-perinienis will also be mSde' with i jtuken to other districts, and tho re's (noted/ In the meantime the fanner ; pas raised the seed is quite satisfied r, [he has . found a . tuber that will do V.j'i .bis own locality uiider varying hatic Conditions. ' ;■