THE USEFUL POTATO.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2607, 15 September 1909, Page 6

THE USEFUL POTATO.

ITS VALUE ON A DAIRY FARM

A farmer in the Wairarapa who has devoted some attention to the subject is of the opinion that there are few better cash or market crops on a dairy farm than potatoes. Speaking to a “Wairarapa Daily Times” reporter recently he stated that, taking one year with another, potatoes would bring in more money than any other crop that can be grown with the same outlay for help alia fertiliser. The potatoes could be sold for more than enough cash to buy what grain could be grown on, the same land under the most favorable circumstances. In preparing a good field potato good results could be obtained by manuring the' ground at the rate of about ten loads of good stable manure to the acre, hauled direct from the stable. When possible it was desirable to ’ allow the field to lay a few days '.until the weed .seeds that had been ’turned up germinated, so that the young weeds would be destroyed before planting time. After the ground had lain for a few days' the sods should be cut with a disc-harrow both ways and theV field then harrowed with a common spring-tooth harrow uritil a fine seed-bed'was established. Much-of - the labor ordinarily required Li grow a crop of potatoes might be avoided by thoroughly preparing the ground, before the crop was planted. It was his opinion (that better tubers (were grown when thev were planted -in check rows and cultivated both ways. The yield would probably be somewhat smaller, but the tubers were more umform and would grade better when marketed. Just before the potatoes came through the ground the weeder or smoothing harrow should be run oyer the field, as one day’s' work at this ‘time would; amount to more than that ot ten menwith hoes after “the tubers were large enough to cultivate. It also enabled the grower to cultivate a number of days earlier than when the field was not levelled off in this manner. The first cultivation should be deep and the outside tcoth of -tlie machine run fairly close to the row. and as the tops spread the machine should be narrowed so that it just moved the soil between the rows. It could generally be taken as a fairly reliable guide that tlto root area, in the soil was about, equal to the spread of the tops. “Of course,” he concluded, “I am only giving..yon my idea; somebody . else- may Hold a totally- different opinion ; -but,you* have gq£ mine for what it'is worfch.”.