GREAT POTATO CROP.

Putaruru Press, Volume VI, Issue 230, 29 March 1928, Page 6

GREAT POTATO CROP.

STALKS TEN FEET LONG. Grown by Irwell Lady. Any local amateur gardeners who think they can grow potatoes are invited to call in at the Guardian office vestibule any time they happen to be passing. There is on view a bunch of potato stalks that have grown to •a length of ten feet. They w r ere picked from a crop grown at Irwell by Miss R. Hay, a very enthusiastic and successful amateur gardener, whose name has figured prominently in recent show prize lists. Miss Hay obtained the seed from Oxford, North Canterbury, and the name of the potatoes was given as Irish Rock, but it is not certain whether that is the correct name or not. It is not a case of all tops and no tubers, for the root from which the stalks on display were obtained produced sufficient potatoes of good size and shape to make several megls. No manure was sown with the potatoes and the crop did not receive any special attention. The land where the crop has been grown is, however, rich black soil, which runs do-wn to a considerable depth. It would be interesting to learn later on how the potatoes yield per acre.—Guardian (Leeston). It would also be interesting to know the blight-resisting qualities, and as to the tendency to second growth. A great tribute to the blight-re-sisting qualities of the Iron Dukes was paid by a settler up on the Kaimai, who had previously had dismal failures in growing potatoes up there, owing to the blight, but the Iron Dukes gave a good crop, with no sign of blight.