Potatoes for Very Early Markets.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 43373, 15 September 1908, Page 4

Potatoes for Very Early Markets.

. " pAt the last: annual meeting of the ■ Verii. <ni; Horticultural Society (says American Agriculturist ”) E S B‘igliaiu ga\e his experience in raisearly potatoes. 110 believed .t m*™ more profitable to sell potatoes early in the season at a fancy price -T, ri . lt her than wait until late in the fall » , and sell at a price barely covering cost o production. ,

v' - ■ ■ . . ■ , uru fly, his method is as follows Ho selects a plat of greensward, manures .very heavily and ploughs lightly in the early fall.- luthe spring he re-ploughs much more deeply, harrows thoroughly and repeatedly, sowing broadcast higl.-grndo phos- .. ph'-itc at the .rate of 900 pounds per ' acre. Ho says 1200 or even 1500 'pounds Would he better, and intends to use this amount this season.

lie practises the “ budding” system as follows: — A sufficient number of crates, each 1i- inches deep by 18 /inches wide by 4 feet long is taken. These will hold about a bushel of potatoes set closely in a singlo layer and upon the stem end. These crates, when filled, are taken to a warm, welhlighted room, and placed in a .cupboard-like rack, each crate forming a shelf with a 9 inch space between. This is done about two months before planting time.

;.K As soon as tlic-ro is a reasonable probability that danger from frost is pissed, the crates are taken to the field, the potates cut and dropped in shallow hills 8.1 feet apart and 12 to 15 inches , apart in the row. Great c ire is taken that the sprouts, which should be 2 to 3 ii dies long, are not br >ken, and that they are upright in tie posi'ibn in .which they are to grow. They are covered lightly, cultivated and sprayed frequently and in 10 to 12 weeks the crop is sold at about 7s and sometimes 8s per bushel.

During the discussion> which followed, Mr JJrigham said tlio replougiiing in the spring brings the manure and decaying sods exactly into the position where the growing potato can make the most use of them.

The di'seussi n .brought out the f ‘C* - , basel upon experiments, that when plant.ng it makes no difference whether the eves are uppermost or not, provided the growth lias r.ot started ; but if potatoes, having developed sprouts,, aro planted with the eyes underneath, the growth will bo retarded iu proportion to the length.of tiiosprcuts. j