POTATO GROWING.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 March 1921, Page 2

POTATO GROWING.

EXPERIMENTS IN STRATFORD. A particularly interesting display of potatoes grown by the pupils of eight schools in ti e Stratford district, is now being made at the Stratford office of the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Company. The potatoes have been specially selected as being the most suitable for growing in the Stratford district, the varieties being Sutton’s supreme, Reading Russet, Sir J. G. Wilson, Maori Chief, Early Vermont, Robin Adair, and Aberbrothock. The seed was generousl.V donated by the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Agency Company, and a competition held amongst the following schools: — Stratford Standard VI., Stratford Standard V., loko, Huiroa, Bird Road, Pembroke Road, Cardiff and Midhirst. The judging was carried out on Saturday/ and the 100 marks in tte judging were divided as follows: —Potatoes 50, graph of yield 20, history of crop 30. The awards were made as follows:—lst Toko, 81 (38, 18, 25) ; 2nd Stratford Standard VI., 80 (40, 15, 25); 3rd Bird Road, 71 (39, 12, 20). It, will thus be seen that although the Stratford school came second in the competition, It secured the highest points for quality of potatoes groym, but Toko gained most points for the graph showing tte different yields. From the point of view of all potato growers, including those who grow only a few for their own household purposes, the results of the experiments will prove a valuable guide as to .the best varieties to grow in the Stratford district. The heaviest yield was obtained with Sir J- G. Wilson, if an average is taken over tte whole district and the varieties next in order were Ma or i Chief, Aberbrothock, Robin Adair, Reading Russett, Early Vermont, and Sutton's Supreme. It was found that much better yields were obtained where the ground had been top-dressed with artificial manures. The display will be continued all this week, and all interested persons are invited to visit the Loan and Mercantile Company's premises and inspect the potatoes and the notes made by the school children.