780 



Agricultural Gazette of N.S.W. 



[Nov. 2, 1920. 



Potato growing on the Clarence River is mainly for the production of 

 early potatoes, and for this purpose sowing is usually completed by the end 

 of July. The early sowing is often at the expense of proper cultivation, and 

 very little attention is given to tlie maintenance of soil fertility by the 

 incorporation of organic matter. It is agreed that potatoes always yield 

 well in newly broken-up land on account of the decaying vegetable matter^ 

 but the importance of keeping up the supply of hunms is not sufficiently 

 realised. In this connection the practice of raking and burning the cornstalks 

 in preparing the land for potatoes is, to say the least of it, a wasteful one, 



Brooklana, Fastern Dorrigo. — Soil volcanic, free working, porous, of 

 yellowish appearance and generally typical of the eastern plateau ; previous 

 crop oaten hay; the oat stubbie was ploughed in on 1st August, and 



Variety Trial witli Potatoes at Dorrigo. 



BrowiR'H's Beauty yielded 10 tons 1 cwt., and Carman No. 1, 10 tons 18 cwt. 



a second ploughing given at the end of the month. Experiments sown 8th 

 an. I 9th September, 1919, on well-prepared land; drilled in, rows being 

 2 feet 9 inches apart, and sets 15 inches apart. 



The season was, generally .speaking, favourable, the precipitation of 23-26' 

 inches being accompanied by normal temperatures. 



The results of both the variety and manurial trials were largely uniform 

 with previous years. The value of artificial fertilisers is wc^ll expressed by 

 the following figures, which show the increases obtaineii in this locality 

 over three seasons from the use of 3 cwt. of P7 mixture per acre : — 



, 1917-18 ... ... 5 tons 1 cwt. per acre. 



l.?li>— iJ ... ... •) ,, o ,, ,, 



1919-20 3 „ 1 „ 



