Farm Notes.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4499, 4 December 1909, Page 4

Farm Notes.

|y:; POTATO FLIGHT U - ANOTHER OUTBREAK [ REPORTED to some Auckland merpants, the potato blight has made its appearance in their district. Within ihe last fortnight instances liavo been ’©ported? of potato patches being apparently in splendid condition one svening, but blackened with blight next morning. Crops at Pukekohe, it Pantnuro, and in the Northern Waikato, aie stated to be amongst those smitten. In consequence of this ferge growers who depend on their Htato crops for a living are going in spraying. Those holding fiip.a.ll areas in and around Auckland

up their crops, and al (though the supply of old potatoes (from the South has ceased, and the pnarket has to depend on the new pwbers locally grown, it is thought likely . that the market may shortly contain a certain quantity of weedy, immature stock during December. The upper part of the Waikato district (known as the early-potato area) generally supplies Auckland, and if the blight continues to spread an inferior class of potato may reach the market.

I The opinion is generally expressed, however, that if spraying is carried lout assiduously the crops will be safely carried to maturity, and as there is a very large area planted this yoar (larger than usual) it is unlikely that the supplies will be uncomfort ably small, or that potatoes will reach the extremely high prices which ruled 'a few years ago, when the blight made. its first appearance in the Dominion.