POTATO EXHIBITION.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 March 1920, Page 2

POTATO EXHIBITION.

To the Editor. Sir,—l hare read in your paper an account of an exhibition of potatoes inaugurated by Webster Bros. It looks to me to be only it list of names of men and potatoes. For any information It gives of (he relative productiveness of tin? various varieties of spuds, or of the skill of the growers It furnishes no information. Tf these exhibitors had sent in with their samples some infmunation as to the area from which their exhibit was collected, the yield per acre of the varieties they sent, the manure, and the quantity of it used per acre, and the method of cultivation followed, they would have been rendering some service to the Dominion and would hare deserved well of their neighbors and the community generally. Tor all pr'oclical purposes, or for any information to be pot from the report in your paper, the names of the potatoes might just as well be copied out of some seedsman's catalogue and the names of the competitors coaled' oait of some electoral roll. I knew a unan who 011 one occasion obtained the first prize for potatoes at an horticultural show who did not have any potatoes planted. He simply went out into his neighbors' paddock (who iiii this case happened to be Maoris) nnrt rooted! out a number of potatoes of suitable size and got the award. Horticultural competitions want to bo made of some use and conducted with some care.—l am etc., JOHN WEST. Toko, March l. 1