The Potato Crop

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 September 1916, Page 3

The Potato Crop

Alter potato seed has been cut, the sots should be welli sprinkled" with flowers of sulphur. The mineral substance is an excellent fungicide, and to ii certain extent prevents the rotting of the sets. Freshly cut seed should be protected from sun and rain, and when planted covered as quickly as possible to prevent the evaporation of moisture from the tubers. it should not be allowed to remain implanted for more than 24 hours iit the most. Potatoes should not be planted in very wet soil *■ or until all dangor of frost is past. The most economical distances to plant are 2ft. Kin. between the rows and loin, between the sets. The depth is regulated somewhat by soil conditions, but for all purposs 4Jin. will be found satisfactory. In no circumstances should the amount of seed be less that lOcwt. "i per acre. Some growers use as little i a.s from 7cwt. to Bcwt. per acre", which is hiilse economy. Greater net profits ) are obtained from liberal seeding. Tf the land is in good heart and the sets are. placed too far apart the feeding area, of the., plants is #oo great, which leads to the potatoes developing an undesirable size. liy restricting this by

t'leeer planting a more marketable sample is obtained. If a ftirmer inUmulm to plant, say, twenty tons of seed, it is more economically profitable to distribute it over forty than fifty acres. He will then obtain practically the same weight of. potatoes at less expense in production. If the soil is

pour the seeding should lie at a similar

rate, and the Innd liberally manured. Tito aim of every potato grower should he to obtain the maximum yield from every acre he grows. It is a payable practice to cull seed at planting time. It will then ha»ve sprouted, and any sets .showing an obviously weak sprout ought to be discarded. Careful selection of seed goes a long way to ensure a lieravy yield. Land that lias been winter fallowed should bo ploughed again and then well harrowed before planting is commenced. Cross ploughing will stir it more thoroughly. When the planting machine is used, the soil should be reduced to a fine tilth, otherwise it will not do the host work. Some farmers lose sight of the fact that this implement is a planter, not a cultivator.