Potato Growing. 



493 



In conclusion, we strongly urge growers to be on the alert for 

 varieties which possess vigour to resist the potato disease. For 

 a number of years we have had dry seasons, and our summers 

 have been too dry for disease to spread seriously. Last summer 

 was rather showery, and there was more disease than for several 

 years. When one looks back on the wet years about 1879 and 

 remembers how badly potatoes succumbed to disease, the 

 necessity for regarding this feature of resisting disease as being 

 the most important of all in a variety of potato cannot be lost 

 sight of. Those whose experience does not take them back so 

 far may not realise this. But there is the fact that practically 

 since 1887 we have been fine-weather farmers. The prolonged 

 dry cycle must come to an end some time unless our climate 

 has permanently altered. This there is no reason to believe, 

 and at any time we may start on a series of wet years. 



W. J. Malden. 



