10 June, 1916.] Field Crop Co»ip'<^t/fioiis {I'otatoes). 373 



It may be argued that the growing of a few acres for a competition 

 would not affect the standard of cultivation of the larger areas gene- 

 rally grown commercially. A moment's consideration should be suffi- 

 cient to prove the fallacy of such argument. The educational benefit 

 derived from the practical demonstration of the increased yield from the 

 small area on which more intense cultural methods were practised wculd 

 make it obvious that these methods produce returns showing a greater 

 proportionate profit, and would have the effect of causing these improved 

 methods to be applied to the larger areas. 



Pressure forced the wheat farmers of Australia to use improved 

 methods of farming in producing their wheat. 



Pressure likewise will compel the farmers of other crops to improve 

 their methods. These competitions, if properly availed of by growers, 

 will do much to anticipate this economic pressure, which, although a 

 useful and effective lever for improving the output of any industry, is 

 often an unpleasant experience to those attached thereto. 



In judging these crops a maximum of 100 points was divided as 

 follows : — 



Evenness of crop ... ... ... 10 points 



Cleanliness of crop as regards cultiva- 

 tion and disease ... ... 10 ,, 



Quality of crop ... ... ... 45 ,, 



Weight yjer acre ... ... ... 35 ,, 



in allotting points for weight, the crop scoring highest in that section 

 was given full marks, and the others were given marks pro rata. Some 

 very heavy yields were recorded. In the Pakenham comy>etition, the 

 winner, Mr. J. Savage, had a nice crop estimated to scale 11 tons per 

 acre of marketable tubers. In the Trafalgar and Yarragon competition, 

 Mr. T. Cconerty topped the Carman class with a 17-ton crop. Mr. 

 W. Dowton, in the class for any other variety, had two entries which 

 would yield 14 and 17 tons respectively per acre, but which were, un- 

 fortunately for him, disqualified, because his area was not up to the 

 measurement demanded by the conditions of the competition, and the 

 first place was taken by Mr. H. Best, who was next highest in points. 

 Mr. J. Geale scored heavily in the Leongatha competition with a mag- 

 nfficent crop of 18 tons to the acre. 



The quality of the crops, with few exceptions, would have besn much 

 improved had the growers adopted the practice of clos?r planting than 

 is the rule. Land which is capable of growing 15 to 18 tons of jiotatoes 

 to the acre is rich enough to carry a full crop with planting <listanred 

 2 ft. 3 in. between the rows, and the sets spaced 14 inche.^ or 15 iiulies 

 in the rows. Planting at those distances, or even less on the richer lands, 

 would have tlie effect of ])roducing heavier yields of u'edium sized and 

 better quality tubers. The grower who produces tubers as large as man- 

 golds ha.s Ins system of planting to blame, lie shoulil ]>lant closer, and 

 .so restriiH the feeding ai-ea of the plants. The result would be improve- 

 ment ill size, imjirovemcnt in quality, and equally heavy, if not a 

 heavier, tonnage In estimating the weights per acre, one row re])re- 

 sentative of the average of the whole area was selected, and one chain 

 long dug out of it. The result was multiplied by ten times the numlier 

 of rows planted to one chain width. Tlie only margin of error per- 

 nntted by this system of calculation is possible in estimating what is a 

 fair average row of the area. 



