196 



Agricultural Gazette of N.S.IF. \3Iar. 2, 1908. 



Exju'rinients in ifrowiiig potutocs niidi'i' straw and under t-artli are now 

 beiiii^ carried on side liv side, vvitli the suiue variety and other eoiuHtion.s Ix'ini,^ 

 eijual ; both are now t'nnuiii'j,' tubers nicely. Last year crickets destroyed a 

 good uiany under straw. The straw, of course, is an item, also carting and 



laying it on, al- 

 thouiih tlie latter 



oi)cr;i t ion 



can 



Potatoes grown under straw. One-third uatviml size. 



he jici't'or med 

 quickly, hut there 

 is no after-culti- 

 \alioii, ami no 

 weeds grow — no 

 digging, straw can 

 be foi'ked away 

 quickly. If suc- 

 cessful il will he a 

 handy way for a 

 kitchen garden, as 

 the cook will 

 merely have to go 

 out. put aside the 

 straw, and pick 

 the best tubers otl' 

 for the pot ; those 

 left will prohably 

 growall thebetter. 

 T do not claim to 

 ha\e made a discoveiy, but liad read somewhere of it Ix-ing done in Ireland 

 yeai's ago with success, but liad to iind out the way to do it, as no available 

 data were to hand. The object was to overcome a ditticulty in treating the 

 heavy soils which contain the plant food necessary, but are otherwise unsuit- 

 able, and the Agricultural l)epai'tment aims at overcoming these dithculties, 

 and oidy hy ext)erimenting can this he (htne. 



Potato Diseases. 



Scab [Oospora scabifs) is a common disease in tubers, and lirst ajijiears as 

 slight swellings on skin, wliicli imarasc t ill tlicy burst 

 sets in, leaxing uglv pits or abrasions of greater oi 

 manure, especially if not well I'otted, faxoui-s the increase of scab; rotation 

 of crops tends to check it. 



Perhaps the best treatment yet used, and the simjilest. is: 1 oz. commercial 

 formalin (liquid) to 2 gallons of water, soak for two hours in the solution, 

 then cut and plant in the usual manner. Or, 1^ oz. commercial formalin 

 (liquid) to 2 gallons water, and soaked for one and a half hour only, may 

 be used. 



Another treatment: 1 oz. of corrosive sublimate dissolved in 12 gallons. 

 water. Immerse potatoes for about two hours in this solution. 



then decomposition 

 ess depth. Stable 



