POTATO CULTURE.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 August 1917, Page 2

POTATO CULTURE.

By "Sunshine." Last week F got as far as the necessity of sprouting seed before planting, mentioning at the time how important and essential this course was. This week some reasons for the necessity of this procedure will be. given, also a. few hints on the cutting of tubers before planting. By sprouting the seal well before planting the shoots become strong and robust in habit and consequently by this 'process the risk of planting a set with "wise eyes" and ''thread eyes" is entirely eliminated. It is generally agreed that the stronger a shoot can be got before planting the stronger it will grow mid naturally the better able to withstand disease. Sprouting of seed also will in many cases ahcuv the variety of potato, and this is most important where a grower is fan.ilier with the various varieties ho plants from year to year. Many varieties of potato seed on the market, to-day if heaped together would be hard to distinguish but the peculiarities in sprouting once known will easily be recognised when laid out and allowed to shoot. Whilst all varieties cannot bo identified in this manner several ra.cll know n ones are quite peculiar to thfemselves in this respect. I , The cutting of seed before planlin ,' most important and is materially hel ! by tho sprouting system, Mow- it n st be understood that no hard and fast 'je governing the cutting of seed can be "' down—it will depend largely on v" things—(he number of strong shoot to a set. and the nature of the shoot. Sne potatoes will bo found to be far I ire prolific in the eye or the shoot a " others, and varieties again in some ■ *s make a. single shoot from the eyes nd in other cases form a bunch or cl tp r r . of shoots from each eye. It is ] [■>■(. therefore that if a. grower has a vn.'iety which be knows little of. its pecuVM'ities will soon he made known to h'm after a week or two's sproul'mg. In I*'e case of branching or clustering shoits of course, it will not be necessary to have more than one good eye to each set. It may be advisable to mention here the Gamekeeper, a variity very largely grown in this district and which generally speaking crops well, but has a preponderance of small tubers. This weakness can, I think, with care be much improved and I would venture a solution here. The Gamekeeper is one of the most, if not the most, prolific shooting potato wo know of, and is also of the ''clustering shoot" variety. The tuber of it usually run small and growers arc too much inclined on account of tlieir size to plant them whole. Being a vigon.Kii grower each t"bor from each cluster of shoots from its many eyes grows as far as nature and the soil allotted it allow and when in due time it comes to maturity it is found that the allotted space given to these many tubers (stems) has been altogether inadequate, to sustain them in full and the re.-ulf is inevitable—a large quantity of small tubers. This particular variety needs cutting very freely, in fact one. eve to each set will, 1 Think, materially benefit (lie crop. : Ono more word on the cutting of seed. We hear from time to time many conversations and discussions on this subject. 'One man says if the set is a big one he might cut it once or twice, or if small lie would plant it whole. Put this system or idea out of your mind at once as it has been proved to be erroneous, and as mentioned earlier in my notes the sets themselves when allowed to shoot freely will • show you by their peculiarities (and tb"y undoubtedly have them) just how thev should be cut.