The farmer. The Potato Crop.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1964, 7 February 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

The farmer. The Potato Crop.

By It. W Emeusoj. Maclvok. F.1.C.. F.C.S.. ,< Le, Lecturf r nn Acrioiiltme, Technical College. Sulni}. Iv consequence of the variety of moist and dry climates in which it can be cultivated, the potato may fairly be said to possess a ' wider Rpoo;r>\phical range than any other farm plant. In pome of the cooler parts of New South Wales, Viotoria, Queensland, Tasmania, New ZpaJand, and South Australia, where the soils are rich and otherwipe well puitcd to the requirements of the tuber, crops of 15 and even 20 tons par acre have been obtained, and are still obtainable. In the magnificent district of Warrnambool, tho potato tbrivpq to rerfeotion, and Rives enormous yif Hh. At Port Fairy and Mount Gambier it ii no lees at home.

YUIICTIES. r There is no end to tho varieties of thr> potato at present cultivated in the old and new worlds. " They differ in shape from round to obi one;, and flat and curved, or kidney shaped ; they ranpe in size from tho delicate lady's finger to the gigantic blue, nose ; their exterior is rou<?h or polished, and of almost every hue, white, yellow, led, and almost blpck ; and may bo smooth, and even with the eye Fcarcely discernible, or deeply indented with innumerable sunken ayes like the rohan or merino." They also Bhow'much diversity in the interior, being waxy, mealy, or watery, and vary very much in flavor. 'Lastly, they differ in ripeninp, early or later, and in adaptability to different soiK " New kinds can ba obtained at pleasure by planting the seed found in the balls." The tubers got in this manner will be small tho first season, but by careful management they will be sufficiently largo in the second year to enable the grower to ascertain their quality, when the best can be chosen for further cultivation. Provided tho goil is even throughout, and disease bo ab•ent, the earliest ripening plants may be distinguished by the decay ol the haulms. Additions may be made to the long list of varieties by the process of hybridising or impregnating the pistil of one flower with the Sollen from the flower of another variety y this means excellent varieties have been obtained. Allen recommends that such kinds as have no flowers, and are in consequence more [productive of tubers, should be compelled to flower by removing the tubers from the stems as they form. To enumerate the many kinds of potatoes which have been cultivated in these colonies is impossible, but those which come to mind are pink eyes, fluke, kidneys, regent 3, early rose, greys, and others.

CHEMISTRY Or THE CROP. In attempting to give a table of the average composition of the potato, it rauft be mentioned that soil, climate, variety, manuring, and other circumstances greatly influence the relative proportions, not only of the organic, or if soience will allow the expression, vegetable constituents, but also of the mineral or ash constituents in a crop. However, the following statement may be taken as showing the mean composition of the tuber, inasmuch as it is based upon many analyses made in different parts of the world :— Water 75.0 Husk and Fibre . . . . 4.0 Starch, Gum and Sugar . . 17.0 Gluten 2.7 Fat 0.3 Ash ".. 10 100.0 The aah of the tuber 3 consists largely of potash, phosphoric acid, and comparatively little lime and magnesia ; while that of the tops contains relatively little pota«h and phosphoric acid, and large proportions of lime and magnesia Roughly speaking, we may call the tuber itself a "potash plant," while the top 3 may be said to belong to the family of " lime plants " Science must pardon this rude attempt at popularising its teaching. Farmers often say the writer is "too technical," but they can form little notion of the difficulty that comes in the way of making clear to their practical minds the science of agricultural chemistry without sacrificing it 3 accuracy.

THE SOlt> TOR THE CltOr. A rich soil possessed of openness, warmth, a fair quantity of moisture without being wet, and containing hutnus in good proportion ia beßt suited for the potato. Volcanic loams generally poaaesa these properties in the highest degree. Other soils doubtless yield good crops, but are not to be compared with the loams just mentioned, either as regards quantity or quality of produce. Volcanic soils of the nature described, to the writer's personal knowledge occur at Warrnambool, Lancefield, and some other parts of Victoria; Mount Gambier, ia South Australia ; La Trobe, and many other districts in Tasmania ; Taranaki, Wangaoui, Oaraaru, Otago, and other parts of New Zealand. These loams cannot be surpassed in the world for potato growing. The crops obtained from poorer soils are not necessarily inferior, but often are, and the use of manures soon becomes essential to the maintenance of fertility. Heavy olay land is unfit for potato growing.

IUNCRES FOR ME CROI'. The fertilisers best suited for the potato are ''Bach as contain potash and phosphates in an easily available form. A specially prepared artificial manure composed of a mixture of excellent superphosphate of lime and potash salts, and suitable to all but the lightest land, can b8 procured from Melbourne, and doubtlesa also from Sydney. The returns from this material have been surprisingly good. The ns9 of farmyard manure should be carefully managed in preparing ground for the potato, as otherwise it may in warm districts so force the growth of the crops that the tubers will be inferior, liable to disease, and of badkeeping quality. Manuring the land heavily, and taking off a hay or other crop previous to planting the potato, is undoubtedly the beet means of preventing the evil results, and of getting the best return from the manure. The careless use of rank animal fertilisers is the main cause of the diseased condition of many of the potato orops grown in the neighborhood of large centres of population. If this practice be impossible, the manure should be spread thinly over the ground and ploughed in. In the absence of either of the manures mentioned, bonedust or guano mixed with wood ashes, if these be obtainable, may be used with much benefit on poorish soils.

rRHPUUTIOV OF THE SOILS. The soil must be brought into good tilth, with the double object of rendering it more retentive of moisture and making the plantfood more easily accessible to the young crop. If the ground be a " tough sod " it should be ploughed tne preceding fall, but if in fairly loose condition it may be worked immediately before the seed is planted.

THE SEED. In the case of the potato, as in that of •very other crop, too much attention cannot be given to the selection of seed. Mackay advises the colonial farmer that good large whole tubers be nsed for the summer crop, and cut sets for the winter crop. The same authority recommends that when the farmer ' means to make use of his own potatoes for seed it is safest to select the seed at digging time, because if left over until the planting season there is no selection possible. He saya — "Those are taken that happen to be left, generally small or misshapen specimens that have proved un saleable or have been thrown aside in selecting the best for the table. Large size is of less importance in seed potatoes than smooth vrell-shaped roots. The crop is grown from an eye, not a seed, and there is this important difference between the seed and the eye — that whilst the first almost always shows a variation from its parent by cross fertilisation the eye or cutting shows a continuous growth which must perpetuate its own characteristics. The selection of sound medium- sized potatoes

in preference to large ones cannot be te o strongly urged. The latter are often ovci grown, and therefore immature. Eiperienc<\ and science, which, after all, is only the into preter of experience, teach that the best pee 1 ia the medium-sized split potato. When thciG is a scarcity of such tubers it is often economioal to cut them into four. In plantin ,' the seed oare Bhould be taken to give tco much, rather than too little, space. The di« tance between the drills ia regulated by thnature of the soil and the dimensions of tli > tops, some varieties growing much larger than others. A medium distance is thirty inches between the drills ; the plants being se t in about ten inches apart." The Heed ehoulJ be covered to a depth of four inohes. Sony able authorities recommend that that portion of the crop which is intended for seed shouM not be so deeply covered, as the tubers arc none the worse for being touched with the sun more or less.

CULTIVVTIOX. When the plants put in an appearance on the suiface the plough should be run through them and the soil thrown over them to a depth of two or three inches. No harm can bo done if the tops nro even completely oovprod. The hoe is not much necdeO, except to get rid of the weeds which may have sprung up. The soil ought to be repeatedly turned before the growth interferes with the operation, but never after the blossom appears. By thus working the ground the development of stems is ohecked, whereas that of the roots is encouraged. On poorer land it is, in most places, the custom to substitute a simpler practice, viz., covering the sets deeply at first, and checking the growth of tops by means of the smoothing harrow.

HARVESTING AND STORING. The harvesting commences when the topi are mostly dead, as it is then evident that the potatoes have reached maturity. When removed from the ground they must not bo exposed too long to the sun, but should be formed into small heaps, covered with tops, and left until they have lost adhering moisture, when they are stored. Those pelected for seed ought to bs spread out in a dry, cool place, where there is no likelihood of heating.