Potatoes.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 18 April 1914, Page 4

Potatoes.

EFFECT OF ARTIFICIAL

MANUItE

(From the Victorian Journal of

Agriculture.,)

The experimental plot was established on Mr Malcolm's farm at Glen Oak in the western district of Victoria. The soil was very old peat, characteristic of the peat beds which abound among the basalt ridges in this district. . The analysis disclosed the fact that it was very deficient in potash and phosphoric acid, but was very rich in nitrogen lime and magnesia. This indicated the need for a dressing of potash and phosphoric acid which was supplied by a maximum and minimum dressing. The use of superphosphate and sulphate of potash, used separately, and combined in the minimum dressing was 2cwt superphosphate, lewt. potash sulphate; maximum, 4cwt superphosphate, licwt potash sulphate. The plot, Vhich was - about one acre in extent, was divided into two parts, and containing five sections of one-tenth of an acre each. The crop showed in a very marked manner the effect of the manures during the whole growing perio'd—the most vigorous growth was on the sections receiving a dressing of superphosphate either alone or in combination with potash. On the 9th January all these supeiphosphate sections showed a ripening of the foliage of plants; this was more pronounced in the seed receiving superphosphate alone than in those with superphosphate and potasb; whist the unmanured and potash sections did not have their fresh green colour until the plants had completed their life period. This apparent ripening off was no doubt due to the action of the superphosphate. This fact is borne out by the large percentage of small tubers on the sections with superphosphate only, as compared with the phosphate and unmanured sections. A marked feature of. the effect of the manures was evident in the growth of the plants in the unmanured section —the plants were small and ieeble-look-mg. in all sections receiving superphosphate, the plants showed evidence of very vigorous growth and at digging were prone on the ground, but in the case of the section with potash only, the plants were medium-sized, of even growth, standing erect, having ripened off with nice golden colour thus showing a better development of the woody structure of the plant. It is also claimed for potash that it makes the plant more resistant to disease. i'he yield of the crop was influenced by the manures in a marked manner. The omission of potash in the dressing was attended with a marked reduction in the yield. These results were in accordance with those obtained by George Ville, the celebrated French agricultural chemist, in his experiments when he found that-the suppression of potash reduced the yields from 9ton lGcwt to 4tons 4cwt. per acre. In division two of this plot the suppression of potash reduced the yield from 9tons 13cwt to 4tons lOcwt. The appearance and eveness of the tubers on all the sections receiving potash was aTso apparent. That the quality of the potatoes was also improved by. the manure dressing is evident By the starch content, which was increased from 12.96 in the unmanured to 17.05 in the maximum dressing.