GROWING POTATOES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 94, 7 May 1937, Page 12

GROWING POTATOES

The potato is the most democratic food of the meal table. Old and young, rich and poor, people of every cult, creed and class in every country of the world pay tribute to the good quaii ties oi this vegetable. While potato-growing can be doncsucce8sf.ully by the average gardeiiere without a great deal of knowledge, there are some points of importance which must govern suecess in this uirection. J need scarcely remind you that potatoes are mere enlargements of underground stems, shortened and thickened, in which starch is stored. Like other undergrouud sferns, the tubers possess buds or eyes, from whieh by fresh shoots the j)lant is capau,e of re-deve-lopment aud althougn the tubers maj be preserved througu the colder month. for planting in tne spring, they aie neithey morp nor lpss than port.ons oi the plant which died down, and ap parently ceased to exist in the previous autumn. JELence the life of the plam ciay be proionged year after year, The importance of using good, cleau seed cannot be emphasised too strong ly. Poor seed invariably results in ua certain crops. Be sure that your tuber. are clean, sound, true to type aad o suitable siize, thus avoiding many dis eases that -arise from seed of poo. quality. VYhen once the seed is pro cured the potatoes should be exposeto the light. Spread tubers out on au ol& sack in the sun until they tun, green which hardens them and pro motes strong, early growth. Good results may be obtained from almost any soil provided it is wel, drained and of suflicient depth apcl properly manured. The potato is a quick-growing crop and has a good appetite, but will not work hard to obtain food from the soil. It requires plenty of freedom for its roots to spread and does not thrive too well in a cold, wet soil. 0The digging in of oats, lupins or mustard 'improves the texture of th(, soil and increases its capacity by add ing organic manure or humus.