1920.] The Ormskirk Potato Trials : Report. 69T 



The Potato Trials at Ormskirk, now famous in the farmin^^ 

 world, were first instituted by the Ministry in 1908 in con- 



^ , . , sequence of the discovery made in that. 

 The Ormskirk ^ . . • ^ , " 

 Potato Trials* "^'^^^^ certam potatoes are immune 



Re ort for the ^^^^ Wart Disease. The first trials held 

 Year 1919 ^^ere of different varieties of potatoes and 



of the action of chemicals on the disease, 

 in 1909 and 1910 trials were also begun by the Lancashire 

 County Council on the aronnds of the Ormskirk Union, but 

 were discontinued after the immunity of certain varieties had 

 been proved. In 1915 the late Mr. Sneli, with the help of the 

 Lancashire Farmers' Association, began similar trials on the 

 same ground, and these have developed into what are now 

 known as the Ormskirk Trials. Plitherto they have been 

 chiefly tests for immunity, but in future cropping and other 

 qualities of immune varieties, as well as potato diseases other 

 than Wart Disease, will be investigated at the Potato Testing. 

 Station at Ormskirk, under the auspices of the Ministry and 

 the National Institute of x\gricultural Botany. 



The Ministry has just issued the Annual Keport of the 

 Trials for 1919* — a most interesting publication, compiled by 

 the late Mr. John Snell, Director of the Ormskirk Potato 

 Station, and by Miss Evelyn Johnson, his x\ssistant. The 

 Beport notes that through the kindness of the Ormskirk 

 Board of Guardians, the farm attached to the Poor Law Insti- 

 tution was lent once more for the 1919 trials. This land has 

 shown itself to be thoroughly infested with the spores of the 

 fungus causing Wart Disease. In 1919, owing to the great 

 increase in the number of varieties sent for trial and the 

 limited amount of land available, it was necessary, 

 unfortunately, to conduct the trials on land w^hich had been 

 cropped w^ith potatoes the previous year. Cireat care Vvas taken, 

 however, to remove any tubers left in the soil from the crop 

 of 1918. 



The light sandy loam of the trial grounds is such that, in 

 order to obtain the best results, the soil should be moist at the 

 time of planting. If the soil is dry at this time, subsequent 

 rains do not penetrate, but run oif the surface into the bottom 

 of the rid«es. In 1919 practically no rain fell until the end of 

 June, and many early varieties gave very low yields, while 

 second early varieties, such as Arran Comrade, matured 



* Ormskirk Potato Trials. Animal Report for 1919 of the Trials of Potatoes 

 Imnmne from Wart Disease. London : H.M. Stationery Office, Is. 6d. net., post-frep. 



