742 Journal of Agriculture. [,io Nov., 1909. 



Portland Plot. 



The future development of the heath land at Portland seems likely to 

 add a new potato producing district to the State. The plot upon which 

 the present experiment was carried out is looked upon as an extremely 

 poor sandy soil, inferior to the average heath land. Four tons per acre 

 from land, which a year or two ago sold freely at ^i los. per acre, is a 

 highly profitable return. Much valuable information has already been 

 gained in regard to the comparative suitability of numerous varieties, and 

 this, supplemented with accumulating facts in connexion with manures, 

 must place the future production of potatoes on the heath land on a sound 

 basis. The returns from Mr. George Edwards' plot at Portland are given 

 on the pre\ious page. 



The yield of potatoes is progressive with the manures used. Upon 

 such .soil, naturally poor in the essential plant foods, an excellent respnnst^ 

 to manures is to be expected. Section C, unmanured. returned i ton 5 cwt. 

 per acre, of which 11 cwt.. or 44 per cent., were unmarketable. It is 

 quite probable as the hratli land is brought under a proper rntation 

 of crops and the soil accumulates a supply of humus, that not only will 

 better yields l)e produced, but the cost of the manures will diminish. These 

 sandy .soils have the supreme, advantage of being easy to work, they drain 

 well and are very responsive to manures, hence the future of the large tract 

 of simila.r countr\ in south-western Victoria ma\- le regarded witli optimism. 



Cheltenham Plot. 



The overseer of the experimental market garden carried out the fol- 

 lowing interesting test with stable and artificial manures, used singly and 

 in combination: — 



In this instance there is a considerable superiority of the late over the 

 early planting. Unfavourable climatic conditions would largely account for 

 the discrepancy between the \ields and, moreover, two of the heaviest 

 yielding varieties. New Zealand Pinkeye and Sutton's Abundance, were 

 not among those sown in the spring. Several light yielding varieties, such 

 as Windsor Castle, Vanguard, Fortyfold, Lapstone Kidney and Fox's 

 Seedling, were also omitted from the late sowing. The "effects of the 

 manures, both organic and artificial, are most interesting and in no way 

 more so than as an illustration of how the proportion of the marketable 

 to the unmarketable tuliers is controlled b\- the manures used. 



