Practical Advice On Potato Growing Given by Council

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1942, Page 5

Practical Advice On Potato Growing Given by Council

Practical hints on growing potatoes have bccn prcparcd b.v an adviser to tbe South Taranaki Primary Production Council and releascd to the Prcss to encourage garden®rs in tlie correct liiethods of potato growing so that the niaxinuim yield may he gaincd from tlie sced available this year. Any reliable bx'unfl of potato manure will suit tlie soii, says the statemcnt. Liine should not be used, because it encourages ccrtain skih diseases of tlie potato, and the potato does best under slightly acid soil conditions. It pays to manure potatoes heavily, and dressings of from 8 to 12 cwt. an acre arc usually a paying proposition. Howevcr, sucli quantities are not liow available for the large areas. 'Ihe small grower can worlc out his requirements on the basis of up to oue ounce per plant, which is equivalent to about S cwt. per acre or about 221b. for a piot 11 yards by 11 yards. Manure should not be dropped in a small handful in tbe bottom of a hole, hut spread in a cirele four ur five inches out from the seed. Artificial manures must not he rogarded ns a subslitute for huraus in the soil, continues the rcport, and Ihe prcparation of the potato' jilot should include the digKing in of a green crop or well rotted eompor.t or stock manure. Some of the best crops dug in South Taranaki have been grown on well rotted ensilage or lawn clippings. The quantity of seed required depends on size of seed, distances between rows and between plants. I"or whole seed ot reasonable size lrom locwt. to one ton will be required an acre and a garden plot of, say, 11 yards by 11 yards, that is t-40th of an acre, will need about 561b. This nmount can be grcatly reduced by eutling the sced, a praetiee that should be widely followed this season to make Ihe limited supplies go as far as possible. Although good potatoes can be grown from singie strong eyes it is usually best to liave two or three good eyes on each

VWWVWWAVJWAWWWliVV. - "set." TTie best eyes are clustered at the "rose" end of the potato, the "heel end liaving only a few eyes, usually weak. tf the potato is to he cut into " two or three sets, the cuts should be made irom end to end so that some of the strong eves of the "rose" end will be on each set. Cutting the "rose" end from tablc potatoes is a good method of providing seed. It is usually best to cut just before planting, but when the ends of table potatoes are used the cut picees can be allowed to accumulate for about a week before being put in. The cut ends can be kcpt moist by being placed on a wet saek. Sprouting of Seed. Wcll-sprouted seed is to be preferred, especially for carly planting. Seed should be placed in a shallow box with the ' rose end up. These boxcs can be kept in a dark, airy shed for a week or two until the • sprouts are half an inch long and should then be brought into the ligbt to green and harden the sprouts. Long, weak; whitish shoots produced when potatoes sprout in the bag are not much use and nre easily broken oir when being handled. Sprouting is a neressury preliminary to cutting, for it is possible to cut to tlie best advantage. Blind eyes will be disclosed and weak oncs can be rubbed oll. Plants should be about loin. apart in ihe rows and the rows should be from *8 to 36 inches apart to allow ample room for earthing up. If the crop Is not well earthed up there is a considerable loss from the greening of tubers tliat are exposcd to the sun. A good layer of soil over the tubers provides some protcction from blighL The most ed'ective method to control blight is by spraying with Bordeaux mixture at "about 10 to 14 day intervals from tnid-December onwards. This usually mcans about three sprayings but, as it is uecessary to keep the lcaves covered on botli upper and lower surfaces with the spray, if heavy rain is experienced spraying will have to be repealed. Bordeaux mixture is cheap, is easuy prepared and is an effeclive means oi keeping the crop free from blight. It can be purchased in powder form requiring only tlie addition of water or is easily made from bluestone and burnt lime. The usual strengtli is 51b. oi copper sulphate and 41b. of burnt lime to 50 gal. of water, but recent experiments show tliat better results are obtained by reducing the lime to an amount equal to one-half of the copper sulphate. Two of the most important factors to obtain a good yield are thorough preparation of the ground and rqgular spraying, eoncludes the statement. With the use of good seed and attention to the points given lt is possible to obtain yields oi from 20 to 30 tons an acre in the South Taranaki district.