794 



Nurseries for Seed Potatoes. 



[Dec. 



the practice was to employ a large number of teams to perform 

 the ploughing in the short time available, but the introduction of 

 the tractor has helped considerably in solving the problem of the 

 reclamation of clay lands. 



The addition of chalk defiocculates clay, i.e., changes it from 

 a sticky to a more permeable condition. The best crops for 

 poor clays are wheat, beans, mangolds, kohl rabi (but not 

 swedes) and grass. Of these, the best is grass, but wheat 

 does well. 



Peaty Soils.— Dr. Eussell also dealt with the reclamation of 

 peaty soils. No account of this part of his address is given 

 here, as it is hoped to publish an article on this question 

 shortly. 



****** 



Owing to the conditions prevaihng in the counties of Cumber- 

 land and Westmorland, there is at present an excellent 

 Cumberland and ^o^^umty for these two counties to 

 Westmorland "'^^ ^ first-class district for the 



as Nurseries for P^^^^"^^^^^^ seed potatoes. Undoubtedly 

 Seed Potatoes ^ large acreage in both counties is suitable 

 for the cultivation of potatoes, and the 

 seed which has been raised in them has produced excellent 

 crops elsewhere in the country. The operation of the present 

 higher charges for the railway carriage of seed will assist a 

 development in this direction by inducing growers in the South 

 to seek nearer sources of seed than those on which they have 

 been accustomed to rely. 



Immune Varieties. — Farmers who intend to take advantage 

 of this opportunity should remember that in the near future 

 the demand for " seed " will tend to become restricted to 

 those varieties of potato which are immune from w-art disease. 

 They should bear in mind, also, that the present high cost of 

 crop production wall further restrict this demand to the best 

 and purest stocks of seed only. It is important, therefore, that 

 farmers in the counties of Cumberland and Westmorland 

 should take advantage of the Ministry's Scheme for the 

 inspection and certification of crops. 



The Certification of Crops. — Applications for the inspection 

 of groW'ing crops of immune varieties of potato should reach 

 the Ministry before the 1st July. Crops which, on inspection, 

 are found true to type and free from admixture of " rogues,"" 

 will be certified as such and given a serial number wdiich 



