POTATO GROWING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 August 1938, Page 4

POTATO GROWING

SOME USEFUL HINTS. The potato is one of the most extensively grown of all vegetable crops, especially in temperate and sub-tropi-cal countries. It is remarkable in that it is a good garden as well as a field crop, and though I do not recommend those with a small garden to grow any of the maincrop varieties, everyone should grow- a few of the early and second early varieties to provide tubers for the family until the field crops become available. The ground they occupy is then available for the planting of winter and spring greens, provided the potatoes are dug by the end of January, whereas if main crop varieties are planted they are not fit to dig until it is too late to put in another crop. In large gardens, however, and in new gardens when the ground is being broken up, a crop of the late varieties is quite desirable. Though the part we eat is produced underground, it is not a root but a stem specially modified to store up food materials, mainly in the form of starch, and it is easy to note that the eyes are buds and the scar below them is a rudimentary leaf scare such as we see on any stem. Like all other stems, the strongest and best bud is the one on, the end usually called the terminal one, and this is the one which will produce the strongest and healthiest plant. We should, therefore, take precautions to retain this bud on the tubers we desire to use as sets, and this is one of the reasons for recommending the selection of sets for next season’s crop when digging is being carried out. The medium sized tubers which are free from disease or blemish are spread out to green, and are kept fully exposed to the light, so that there will not be any temptation for the buds to grow before they are required. For the same reason we set up the tubers on their ends in trays when we want to sprout them, so that the top bud will get the best supply of sap from the old tuber. If laid on their sides other buds are liable to grow, and as each bud which grows produces a new plant, if the tuber has three growing shoots instead of one we are growing three plants when we only leave room for one. Consequently, though the number of tubers may be greater, they will be small and the total weight less. 1

When sets are stored away in a warm, dark place the buds begin to grow prematurely, and these have to be rubbed off before planting, with the result that we grow our crops from second-rate buds and consequently get a second-rate crop. We also know that spores of disease are carried over from one season to another, and that these like dirt and darkness, but they do not like light and fresh air. Tubers stored in a light, airy place, so long as they are protected from frost, are less liable to be attacked by disease. It will be seen that the selection and preparation of the sets which are to provide our next crop is most important, but unfortunately one which is often neglected. Those who have not saved their own sets should get their supplies from the seedsmen now and set them up on their ends to sprout. If a greenhouse or warm frame is available, the early ones can be put in there to hasten on their development. Potatoes can be grown in any kind of soil provided it is well drained and deeply cultivated, but they prefer a light sandy or peaty .loam with plenty of organic matter to keep it open. Ground which has been newly trenched is specially suitable for potatoes, and if this operation was carried out in early autumn or early winter, all that will be necessary now will be to give a dressing of lime and fork it over, breaking up all lumps. Should the ground be heavy or old garden soil which has become sour with constant manuring and cropping, which has a tendency to cause the tubers to become warty, it is better .to take out a drill about nine inches deep and to line this with leaves straw, or even pine needles; to give a dusting of potato manure or basic phosphate; to plant the tubers and then fill in the soil. The straw or other materials will keep the young tubers from coming into direct contact with the soil, and when dug they will come out clean and without blemish. Though potatoes are a good crop for breaking in a new garden should the grass have been long and rough, there is the danger of the crop being ruined by wire worm. In this case instead of trenching in the grass it is better to chip it off, spread it out to dry, and then burn it over the surface beforp trenching or digging. There are several methods of planting potatoes, one of the commonest being to take out a trench with a hoe or spade about six inches deep and to plant the tubers in the bottom of it, filling in the soil and forming a shallow ridge over them. It looks like a waste of energy to take out soil and put it all back again and provided it has been well worked up with the fork and rake, it is better to plant the sets with a trowel. There is less danger of breaking off the sprout, and it is quicker. The distance between the rows will depend upon the variety, but generally the first earlies are 24 inches, the second earlies 27 inches, and the main crop kinds 30 inches apart. Likewise the distance between the sets in the rows will vary from 12 inches for the first earlies, 15 for the second, and 18 for the main crops. This allows room for cultivating, weeding, and earthings up operations, which are very important.

Natural manures suitable for the potato crop are farmyard manure, compost heap, leaf-mould, old straw or hay with wood ashes, but even when these are available a mixture of; 31b superphosphate, 11b muriate of potash, lib nitrate of soda applied at the rate of 2oz to the yard run up drills at planting time or immediately after will be an advantage in stimulating growth. There is always the temptation to plant a.few tubers very early in the hope that they, may escape late frosts but they can be protected quite a lot by spreading straw loosely over the drills or covering them with loose, scrubby branches. If they should be nipped, if they are watered with cold water before the sun gets on to them they may not suffer, so very badly.

Varieties to plant for early crops are Jersey Bennes, a nice clean, smooth variety; Epicure, a rough variety, but one with hardy , shaws which stand up well to the wind, and the roughness does not matter when the tubers are being used young. Ashleaf Kidney and

Early Puritan are also suitable for the first crop. For the second crop and also for the main crop King Edward, Up-to-date and British Queen can be planted.