SPRAYING POTATOES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1847, 5 September 1913, Page 10

SPRAYING POTATOES.

i! A NEW I'ROCESS. It'oWould'bo a vcrj' difficult matter to place an accurate estimate on the annual loss sustained by potato-growers ■in New Zealand through-t'ho devastating effects of fungoid blight in ■ tho growing crop. 'It has been demonstrated time and again that efficient spraying with Bordeaux mixture at different periods during the lifo of the crop Will guarantee its safety under all Jdnds. of weather conditions. Not only does [spraying; protect ;,t'he haulins from, developing the blight, but it has been proved , that its use ensures a. larger yield; per aero, over plots'which not been, treated.' Knowing' this it' is rather'ii matter ifoir, stiiprise. that farmers will go'to.all tho trouble of carefully; preparing the soil, selecting and planting the. seed, and "then; omit do take out what may. bo termed an' insurance .policy,..oyer the growiug.crqp ivh'iclr-will protect 'it from loss. It'is Jwell known that the blight affecting potatoes'isfar more. prevalent in a moist, 'huinid. season thaiLiit is 'when the conditions are dry' l ? and\warm:"throughout. l''or this reaspii'growers. are too often "tempted to take risks,'.very often with .'dirofrtl results. Others) again, do'their spraying in an. incomplete manner, frequently. too late in' tlie season. It is iiselej« to';wait until the disease has\ nnade.its .appearance before commencing .to us.o'preventatives, although spraying mt this .time will .often check tho disease •'from spreading. It is much better to ispray. before the trouble has commenced '•at all;!' IJsually.it is done-several times ;rtt intervals,... beginning'.with a weak solution when the crop is well above •jtbo and thereafter at monthly intervals'until tho crop ' lias finished growing, ahd making the spraying mixturo a'little stronger at each application.. One of the chief reasons advanced ■by those -who neglect to '.spray their icrops is that too much trouble is entailed an providing the necessary; equipment, iand also .the .large, quantities of water 'Tcquired ;for V-largo:'area,Vofton at a 'ltime' when! water is "-not. .over-plentiful. •JfJiis objection' is ' likely to be overcome jiow iby t'ho process of applying tho fungicide ,'in' the form of a dry powder snstea,d of; in,liquid spray. This process was tried some years ago in England, tout w'as not a complote success becauso of the "'coarseness of the- powder used. .This defect has now been remodied, and O'ccent . trials there havo proved very '.successful, and tho system is said'to bo -Kaimilg in favour. The chief attraction Hies in tho lightness of tho work. There' lijs no heavy carting of water nor troublel.wmo mixing of solutions. Tlie fungi- . >tidc powder is bought ready prepared, •nud simply placed in' the hopper of tlie machine, 'which is then ready .for work. It is claimed that the dry method is cheaper than wet spraying, Jbut horsedrawn machines for tho purposo are id'airly expensive. However, knapsack ' machines havo been made adaptable I for the purpose, and except where areas are very oxtensivo these could bo used with advantage/' Several could bo employed when necossary. Tho greatest drawback to dry spraying is that it must bo done when the haulin is wet with dew. This restricts working to tho parly morning and evening. Dow makes tlie leaves moist both below and on top, so that tho powder adheres to all parts of their surfaco. Should dry Bpraying. prove, on further trial, to bo ns efl'cctivo as liquid spraying, it will no doubt displace the prevailing method, and at tho samo time remote one of the greatest drawbacks to tho uso of •preventatives of disease, namely, the preparation of the mixture. Tho Minister for Agriculture is to bo asked by Mr. H. J. Okey, M.P., whether his attention has been called to tho fact of tho War Office in London inviting tenders for a large amount of beef in tins; and whether ho will communicate with tho High Commissioner with a view of his communicating with tho War Office authorities: with the object of having particulars and specifications placed at some convenient centre in the Dominion where merchants or intending tenderors may mako tliomsolves conversant with the requirements of the contract? If you aro a director or manager <xf a cheese factory, you aro certainly anxious vto earn bigger profits, Big profits, howover, depend upoii the quality of tho" cheese—how to improve the cheese is the ever-present problem. Install "Victor" Vats in place of those old-fashioned, in. efficient flat-bottomed pons. Tho Viotor witli its sloping .bottom ensures n. free Bow of whey, leaving tho curd high and dry, thus helping you to secure better quality cliceso ami. bettor results. Smnl ' ior particulars of the profit-building ''Victor" to-day. Albert J. Farton, Pfumbor. Carterton.—Advt.