SEED POTATOES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1883, 17 October 1913, Page 10

SEED POTATOES.

THEIR. SELECTION AND STORAGE. Mr. R. Browne, of Hawera, who has been giving a series of lectures throughout South Taranaki, under the auspices of tho Wanganui Education Board (in whoso service ho is employed as director of technical and agricultural education), has advised his hearers to always select their own seed potatoes. Keep for seed purposes all the tubers, and small, from the most desirable plant. Select for (1) largo and even yield, (2) shallow and few eyes, (3) shape, (4) freedom from disease, and (o) evenness of type. The next and most important matter is the storage and subsequent treatment of the seed. The Maoris had a good method of storage when they placed tho seed tubers on a platform_ with a- light covering of fern or rauno iust sufficient to keep away frost. A tuber is a living, breathing' Organism, and necessarily should liavo a free circulation of air around it, and as much light as possible should reach it. 'Light retards growth, darkness promotes it, henco lone and brittle white shoots develop on the tubers stored in tho pit or sack. These have to be rubbed off, and hence weaken tho tuber, consequently they should be discouraged. Hie Now York Agricultural Experiment Station has recently conducted somo important experiments with regard to a snrav for potatoes, and has arrived at the final conclusion that limesulphur is not destined to take the place of Bordeaux mixture as a spray for potatoes, in spite of the fact that it is' cheaper and no doubt very convenient to use. Lime-sulphur proved harmless to tho potato foliago as far as burning is concerned, but it proved to. have a distinct dwarfed effect quite similar to that noted in the previous season's experiment. The lime-sulphur also lacked' tho beneficial or stimulative'effect derived from the Bordeaux mixture, which preserved tho foliago and prolonged the life of the plants, and thereby increased the yield even in tho partial absence of fungus diseases.

It lias taken many years to build up the reputation of tho "Gilruth" Calf Food, but at last merit is rewarded, and this food comes into its own. Tho "Gilruth" Calf Food is now stocked by almost every Storekeeper in the Dominion,—Advt, Mii. •