350 



Report ox Potato Trials, 1920. 



[July, 



REPORT ON POTATO TRIALS, 1920. 



Introduction.— Official statistics for 1920 show that the 

 acreage of potatoes in England and Wales was 544,615 acres, ^Yith 

 a total yield of 3,151,000 tons. These statistics relate only to 

 holdings of more than 1 acre in extent, so that the true 

 acreage of potatoes in the country must be considerably in. 

 excess of this figure, as potatoes are grown on most small 

 holdings and allotments, and in private gardens. 



The total value of this crop to the Nation directly and 

 in terms of money cannot be less than i'-25,000,000, so 

 that the industry is of great economic importance. Moreover, 

 the food value of the crop is unquestioned. Its importance, as 

 shown by the above figures, is such as to justify, and in fact 

 necessitate, the carrying out of experiments and demonstra- 

 tions to throw more light on many of the more complex 

 matters of cultivation; to discover and demonstrate to the 

 public the superior cropping capacity of new varieties of pota- 

 toes on particular types of soil; to demonstrate the value of a 

 complete maniu'e such as that Vvdiich gave the most satisfac- 

 tory results in the trials of potatoes carried out by the Irish 

 Department of Agriculture in previous years; and to increase 

 supplies of those varieties possessing great powers of resistance 

 to the many diseases. The most important problem affecting 

 potatoes with which the Ministry, is at present faced is the 

 safeguarding of the crop against Wart Disease by the growing 

 of immune varieties on infected land, and therefore the 

 varieties selected for these demonstrations were mainly those 

 sorts which have proved immune to Wart Disease. The trials 

 should provide figures showing the most profitable of these to 

 grow, and where a satisfactory yield is obtained, these trials 

 serve a useful propaganda purpose in connection with the con- 

 trol of this disease. 



The growing of the very early varieties for lifting green has 

 now become an important industry to many growers, and 

 especially to those with a limited amount of land situated near 

 large centres of population, so that trials to compare the 

 cropping capacities of some of the early immune varieties with 

 those of such popular susceptible varieties as " Epicure," 

 " May Queen," and " Ninetyfold " were needed. The 

 Ministry's scheme w^as prepared with due consideration to 

 these points, and was circulated to County Horticultural Com- 

 mittees, with a request that they would carry out trials of 



