Experiments with Potatoes. 



[FEB., 



dry season, and the crop was not as good as it probably would 

 have been in a more favourable summer. The quality of 

 Davie's Laird is highly spoken of. 



n. Hales. — The potatoes were all planted in a badly 

 diseased cottage garden, but owing to the drought no satis- 

 factory deduction can be made, except that they are disease 

 resistant. Seed saved from the varieties Conquest, Lang- 

 worthy, and Golden Wonder, planted in a former year, was 

 tried. Conquest is said to be not only a good cropper, but 

 a beautiful eating potato. The tubers of Langworthy were 

 small, owing to the drought. Golden Wonder was unsatis- 

 factory. 



12. Smethwick. — The abnormal season seriously affected the 

 experiment as regards the yield, and the potatoes will be 

 tested again this year, but with one possible exception they 

 are declared to be very satisfactory. The order in merit is 

 given as follows: — Abundance and Supreme (grand table 

 quality, quite clean), Crofter (fine large potatoes, good 

 quality), White City (good quality, slightly subject to scab *), 

 Davie's Laird (fine potatoes, good quality, heavy cropper), 

 Chiswick Favourite (good cropper, fine flavour), Southern 

 Queen (fine large potatoes, good quality), Snowdrop (fine 

 flavour, but subject to scab *), Aberlady Early (good quality, 

 but subject to scab *), Provost (somewhat abundant, very 

 small, and bady affected with scab *). 



13. Walsall. — Great interest was taken in the experiment 

 in this district, and many small experiments were made in 

 addition to those arranged by the Board. Langworthy, Peace- 

 maker, What's Wanted, and Milecross Early were also tried. 

 The following report was sent in : "Our soils vary very much, 

 as they consist of peat, semi-peat, clay, semi-clay, i.e., clay 

 and gravel, marl (marl and sand), almost complete sand, and 

 the results have been as varied in crops as the soils. Our 

 greatest misfortune has been the drought. The results may 

 be summarised as follows : Aberlady Early, failure in crop, 

 except in three cases, kitchen quality, varied. Golden 



* Described by the Board's correspondent as Corky Scab, but the diagnosis has 

 not been confirmed, and it is possible that the appearance may really Le due to 

 mechanical action of the dry gritty soil on the skin of the tubers. Many varieties are 

 subject to this " Scab," especially in dry weather, but it is not caused by any disease 



