gi6 Experiments with Potatoes. [feb., 



Burton-on-Trent, Stafford, and Stone in Staffordshire; Sutton 

 Coldfield in Warwickshire, and Redditch in Worcestershire. 

 Wart disease is known to have been present recently in all 

 these places, and in most of them the allotments are badly 

 infected and incapable of yielding a good crop from the sus- 

 ceptible varieties of potatoes that are usually grown. The 

 potatoes tried this year were Aberlady Early, Snowdrop, 

 Southern Queen, Sutton's Supreme, Sutton's Abundance, 

 Chiswick Favourite, Davie's Laird, Sutton's White City, 

 Crofter, and Provost, and small quantities were distributed 

 to allotment holders on condition that the potatoes were planted 

 on soil known to be infected. The results have been on the 

 whole very satisfactory,, and every one of the varieties proved 

 to be disease-resistant as a rule. One or two exceptions were 

 reported, but as the specimens were destroyed before the 

 Board were notified, the accuracy of the statement cannot be 

 verified. Conditions may conceivably occur under which these 

 varieties may become diseased, but there is no doubt that in 

 the vast majority of places infected with Wart Disease they 

 can be grown with the certainty that they will yield a sound 

 crop. 



When replies were being collected as to the freedom of these 

 potatoes from disease, opportunity was also taken to collect 

 the opinions of the growers as to their cropping qualities and 

 their general suitability to the district. The reports in this 

 case are of a much more varied character. 



1. Ravenglass. — The soil here is a rich clay loam, and the 

 only manure used was from the farmyard. The gardens in 

 which the potatoes were planted had been badly diseased for 

 at least four years. In one case two tubers of Aberlady Early 

 were said to be infected, and the crop and quality were both 

 poor. The other varieties grown here were satisfactory both 

 as to yield and quality. 



2. Carlisle.— Davie's Laird, White City, Chiswick 

 Favourite, and Abundance gave very good returns on well- 

 manured land. The quality was very highly spoken of. The 

 others gave good returns, except in one instance where the 

 potatoes were planted on much impoverished soil. Southern 

 Queen, under these conditions, appears to be susceptible to 

 disease. 



3. Rainford— The soil here has been badly infected for 



