254 



THE GARDEN AND FIELD. 



it less lasting we use "meal." , To 

 get its value as near to " now " 

 as possible, use vcrv fine. But no 

 grinding mill ever made by man 

 can begin to equal the smalluess of 

 the particle of a fertilizer alreadv 

 dissolved in water vet fine grind- 

 ing does advance a little along 

 the road of solubilitv. 



The great importance to the 

 plant of this questicin of solubilitv 

 lies in the accepted fact that no 

 solid can be taken in by the 

 root. Whatever necessarv mineral 

 is wanted by the plant must first 

 be dissolved ; to be admitted to 

 the internal works it must be a 

 liquid. \ 



Scab in Potatoes. 



The iniury is confined to the 

 surface of the tuber, the skin being 

 broken up into fragments over the 

 diseased patches. Although the 

 market vaUie is much depreciated 

 when scab is present in quantity, 

 the quality of the potato is not 

 in the least impaired for eating. 



If scabbed potatoes are \i.sed for 

 " seed " without having been ster- 

 ilised, the resulting crop ^vill al- 

 most certainly be di.seased, and in 

 addition the fungus wnll pass into 

 the soil, where it is capable of 

 li\-ing for several years. Scabbed 

 potatoes may be used for " seed " 

 without the slin^hte.st danger of 

 spreading the disease if they are 

 immersed for two hours in a solu- 

 tion consistincf of one pint of com- 

 mercial formalin (equal formalde- 

 hyde, 40 per cent.") mixed with 

 thirty-six eallons of water. The 

 potatoes should be .spread out to 

 drv, when thev ma}' be cut and 

 planted in the usual manner. Great 

 care must be taken after potatoes 

 have been treated as above that 

 thev are not placed in sacks or 

 hampers that have contained 

 scabbed potatoes. 



Land that has produced scabbed 

 potatoes is certain to be infected 

 with fungus, and should not be 

 planted with potatoes for several 

 years aftc.'wards ; beet, swedes, 

 carrots, and cabba<res are also at- 

 tacked 'by the fundus. Cereals 

 may be sown with safety on in- 

 fected land. 



Tn the case of gardens and small 

 allotments, where potatoes are of 

 necessity grown every year, the 



PooHoTO I youwHt«vB 

 XVC«||U.CX O : uonfthing about 

 7*iir methods of br*«din^, raapin^ 

 and manaf in£ Livo Stock T T^nt 

 «■ haT« it if it will only All thr 

 bMk mt a 9mmk owufd. 



trenches in which the potatoes are 

 planted should be sprinkled with 

 powdered sulphur. 



Lime favours the development of 

 the fungus in the soil'; the same 

 is true of stable manure, night 

 soil, etc. Acid manures onlv should 

 be appli'^d to land that is in- 

 fected. 



Peelings from infested - potatoes, 

 unless they have been boiled, 

 should not be giwn to pigs. Burn 

 ing is the safest, and in the end, 

 the most economical, method of 

 dealing with them. — From the 

 .Tournal of the Board of Agricul- 

 ture and Fisheries. 



Potatoes for Exhibition. 



In soil fairly rich, deeply work- 

 ed, and inclined to be rather light, 

 there should be no difficulty in 

 growing first rate tubers. Strong, 

 or rank, manure should be avoid- 

 ed. When manure is put on the 

 ground it should be in the au- 

 tumn, and dug in deeply, leaving 

 the surface as rough as possible 

 for the winter's frosts to do their 

 work. vSome think that anvthing 

 in the shape of a potato will do 

 for seed purposes. This is a grave 

 mistake, for here lies the founda- 

 tion of success in a large measure. 

 It is a question of beginnine well 

 that leads to endincf well. No 

 trouble should be thought too 

 much in preparing the sets. Select 

 good sized tubers and of the very 

 best shape, from four to six ounces 

 in weight, an^ set them up in 

 boxes in a lieht airv place secure 

 from frost. Thev will then snrout 

 and throw un short strone shoots 

 and bv planting time be in fine 

 condition. Plpnt whole sets, rub- 

 bing off carefully all weaklv side 

 shoots, and leavintr the two 

 strongest. The dwarf (jrowing 

 kinds may be two feet between the 

 rows and 18 ins. from sot to set. 

 Strontrer growers should be three 

 feet from row to row, 'and the 

 same in the row. Thev will well 

 repay for the extra room <nven 

 them. Plant carefully about six 

 inches deep with a trowel, loosen- 

 in sr the soil well all round, and 

 takinrr every ofre not to iniure 

 the shoots. Fill iti round the s'-'t 

 with nicely prepared sifted soil in 

 which a small nunn+it-v' of soot and 

 wood a.shf^s and lenf mould form 

 n part. When "Towth cntpmences 

 thev should be looked o^'er frp- 

 nuentlv, keppinn^ the "Tonnd flat 

 lioed until fit for earthino- nn. A 

 bVht dressiu"- of soot and simer- 

 phosphate «>lternatelv will heln 

 them on throut^h the growing 

 period. — Kxchange. 



November, 1913 

 Plant Foods. 



If basic slag, bone itieal, bones, 

 etc., are used either in composting, 

 dig'giiig in or surface application, 

 it is of importance to know what 

 quantity to use, what time thev 

 are to remain In the soil and what 

 effect, immediate or future, is de- 

 sired bv their pre.sence. Basic slag 

 is soluble to the extent of 35 per 

 cent, where there is free carbonic 

 dioxide present in the soil water 

 and an application at the rate of 

 from 6 to 8oolbs. per acre show the 

 effects of the application for from 

 three to four years. If a quicker 

 or greater result is needed an ap- 

 plication in solution and suspen- 

 sion should l>e given either with 

 clear water or liquid manure, con- 

 stantly stirring while using. Su- 

 perphosphate gives a quicker result 

 than basic slag particularly where 

 phosphates are present in the soil 

 already. 



Bone meal used in the same pro- 

 portion, i.e., 600 to 800 Itis. per 

 acre, if steam'ed or finelv ground is 

 traceable for about two years,' 

 yet it is true that the important 



UNLEY PARK PRESERVED 

 FRUITS & JAMS 



[OHAS. TEBRY, Manufacturer). 



¥*de from locally (jrown fruit ol 

 b©Bt selected quality. 



Erery tin guaranteed. Pure and ■ 

 unadulterated. 



^tor«k»>eper8 supplied direct from the 

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 R. F. DEANS, distributing Agent. 

 Waymouth Street, Adelaide. 



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