CULTIVATING THE POTATO.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1712, 26 June 1883, Page 4

CULTIVATING THE POTATO.

The correspondent of an American paper writes on this subject as follows :— "My method... hd? been ' to select a rich, dry piece of land, giving, if possible, a top dressing of About twenty-loads of wellrotted, barn-yard manure. This is fall ploughed if possible, but if ploughed in spring should be stirred to a depth of six or seven inches and thoroughly harrowed afterwards. The rows are then marked out, three foet six inches apart. A single shovel plough is to be piefcired for this woik. The potatoes are then dropped in the furrow thus opened, a distance of twelve inches apart, covci ing s.vme to a dcptli of from three to four inches w itli a two-horse cultivator. The ground should be left in the condition with the first plants show through the soil. The ground is then thoroughly gone over with a light harrow. When the plants are through the ground enough so that the rows can be readily followed, Igo in with a two-horse cultiv.itor, with the front shovels turned toward the row so as to thoroughly cover thegiouud in the row, and the same time the greater part of the potato plants also. This method of first cultivation possesses two advantages. The first and most important is, that if veil done it kills all the young Meeds that have started to grow, giving the potato plants a start of the weeds suilicient to shade the ground and render the use of the hoe unnecessary, thereby saving a large amount of labour. The other advantage is that it reduces the ravages of the Colorado potatoe beetle to a minimum. The plants when they come through the second time are so strong and \igoious, and make such rapid growth as to render the foliage poor food for the larvju of the beetle, which piefer and make greater inroads upon young and tender plants. I have found this to be true by actual test for a number of years. The after cultivation can all be done with the cultivator, and the ground should be stirred at least once each week until the plants are too largo cultivate. A double shovel is soim'times run tlnough the last tune, going once in each row if the weeds show signs of giowth and tho vines are too largo to permit the use of the cultivator. The eailier planting of the potato 1 have found aiiurcs the easiest cnltnution, and the largest yield, no nutter if the variety bo eaily or late. To a limited extent, says five or ten ticics, potatoes pay better than any other farm crop, and faunas would do well to give this ciop more attention with a view to profit. If propei ly handled theic is. money in it.

RkasonabU'. RiuunsT. — The following legend is written in .1 Leadvdlo church 1 — " Pleuse do not shoot the organist ; he his doing his best." TltC gunst3 having dined, the host hands round noboof ciyars- "I don't ninoko myself," ho says ; " but you will find them £ooJ. My man .-teals moie of them than any other brand I ever had." Rkd Coats' — The Livnpool Courier brings to bear on the colour question an argument ft om the liillucncc of the nuse by Which the icd cloaks of Welshwomen caused the bin render of the Fiench force which landed in 1707 at Pishguaid :— " The colour question, ' s-iys tin- twain-, "is being hotly debated and the advantage of invisibility is being ui^eus&ed. We do not observe, however, th.it anyone has so far refuued to an incident well known about hoic. In tlic ' Livcipool Dhectoiy" uc lead, undei date of 1758, 'An expiess armed, .stating tli.it two French U-gun fn^'atcs had lauded 2000 men in (Jnuligan lla\ , and done considerable mischief near l'Vhguaul. ]'>!itteries weio mooted on the piei head: upwaids of 1000 men voluntteied tlien sen ices eight companies of infantiy and tlie Liveipool Light lloise olleied their services as a patiol, etc , Febiuuiy '2Hh.' On the oce.ision leleni'd to a small foicc A\as available on the spot, including the Pembiokc'liirc' Yeomanry C'.u.ihy and some Militia and \ olunteeis, or Fenciblcs, but the liOid Lieutenant of the county, Karl of Caw dor, hit upon the luso of directing tliousands ot Welshwomen to appeal on the nuighhoui ing hills ; then* red cloik.s and tall black hatt, made them nppcu 1 like Butish .soldicis, and the Fiench commandei, supposing that laige reinforcements were advancing, suit endervd to an inferior loico. lnthatinstanccat least the led was a guat advantage, though it was not so at Ma]iiballill." Tin: Kmi'Kkor William \.xr> thk Jtr.icnsTu:. — What is dcsciibed as "a political bolt out of the blue'" has fallen on the field of domestic politics in Germany. In the midst of a dry debate on Aptil 1 X the Reichstag was atattlcd by the reading of a message from the Kmperoi'i The message, which was read by Hen 1 ScholK, the "Minister of Finance, invites I'arliamcnt to proceed at once to rlinpose of the Budget for ISS4IBS.">, in oi dor that it may be f i co to devote the toholu of its next autumn nml winter Session to the discussion of those schemes of ecouomical refoim, especially the Accident Assiuancu Law, the realisation of which is so earnestly desired by his Majesty. To estimate the full meaning of thi& invitation, " it must be remembered that it is not long since the Reich*, tag flatly lefused to vote the ]>udgct for the next year, i.e. 18.5J.-S.l, m addition to the estimates of the i uncut one, seeing that tht-> comsc would h.i\ u \iitually gKinted to the (Sovennnent tlie piincipal of biennial I'udguts." An excited debate followed in the Reichstag, wheie it cieated a piofomrl impiession, as it has. done throughout the country. The issue of the deb.ite was that the message should be fuither debated after it had been piintcd. The message is countersigned by Prince Bisinaick, who, therefore, beats the icsponsibility of it. The Conservative journals in Berlin praise the step ; tlie Ptogiessist oigan regaids it as an act hitherto unheaid of in Constitutional history. On Aptil IS it was known that the message would not be answered by an address, as a majority of the membets of Parliament are ready to vote the Budget of 1884. A circular has been issued by the Parliamentary Committee of the Progressist party, declating the reproach of dilatoriness made against the Reighbtag in the Imperial Message to be unfounded, and adding that a premature fixing of the Budget for ISS41882 would raise all the objections existing again&t a biennial Budget. The social bills lcquire remodelling, a dilhcult task demanding considet able time. The citculai concluded by stating that tlie party consideied it advisable to place this clearly on recoid in \iew of the agitation can led on by the political opponents of the Progressists in Parliament and the eventuality of a dissolution of the Reichstag. Rats am> Mirn.— lf you wish to detroy them get n p icket of Un i '«. M vr.K A i rjmn Xii i i n in pjcki Is, (nl, 'Id, and Is, to be obtained of .ill storekccpi'is, or liom T 1!. Ilxl l by enclosing an extra stamp Liki. ix thkßitsu— Tjii:x am> Nov.— It is generally supposed Hint in the bush v\o have to put up with nunv disromfoits and privations in the shape of food l'oimcily it was so, but ncm, thank* to T. J5. IJin, who has himself dwelt in the bush, if food docs, consist chiefly of tinned meats his Coiomai S\lclki\cs to them a most delectable fl.noui, nuking them as well as the plainest food most ci joy.iblo, and instead of hard biscuits and indigestible damper his ]mI'KOVi i) Coiomai JJam.no Povvdlk makes tho very best bread, scones, cakes, and pastry far supenor and more wholesome than \east or leaven. Sold by all storekeepers who can obtain it from any merchant in Auckland. You will do well to furnish your house from Garlick and Cranwell's. 'Ihey have now the most complete Furnishing "Warehouse in Auckland, furniture to suit all classes, good strong, and cheap. They have Tapestry Carpets from 2s 3d per yard, Brussels from 3s lid per yard. Linoleum from 3s 9d to ss, Oil Cloths from Is Od to 4s (id per yard, good 12 feet wide Oil Cloths at as Od per yard. Immense assortment of Iron Bedsteads from Infants' Cots to 5 Jeet wide hiilf-tcsler Hedsteads. Double iron Hed.«leads fiom 2.') S. 480 liedsteads in stork to select from. Beddings otall kinds and .sizes kept in readiness. Dining, hitting, Diawing-room Furniture, and and a large assortment of Manchester and Furnishing Goods, including a lot of Cretonnes. Book' Catalogues sent free to intending purchasers. Garlirk and Cranvvoll, City Hall Arcade, Queea-Jtreet, Auckland;