18 
eS 
‘Cultivation of the’ Potato.: 
[From ‘Queensland Agricultural Journal’] 
Next to the cereals, the potato is pro- 
bably the most important food plant 
--grown for man. It is a native of America 
and was brought to England between the 
years 1580 and 1585 by Sir Walter 
Raleigh, from Virginia. It was received> 
however, with great disfavor: and the 
‘Church condemned it as an unholy 
-article of diet, seeing the race and place 
from’ which it originated.” It was not 
until the year 1805 that, by the exertions 
‘of Dr. Buchan, it became popilir. In 
France: it was. quite neglected until a 
‘certain gardener, who had’ grown some 
cand found no sale for them, induced one 
of the kings of France to wear a potato 
blossom as a button-hole. This at once 
popularised the despised potato in that 
kingdom. Chemically, the potato con- 
sists of starch, gluten, and woody fibre, 
with, of course, water. On the authority 
of the late John Wilson, Professor of 
Agriculture, Edinburgh, an 8-ton crop of 
potatoes, taken from 1 acre of Jand, 
removes from the soil in which the tubers © 
were grown—of the bases of alkaline 
earths, 901b, of potash, 81b. of soda, 51b; - 
of lime, 7lb. of ‘magnesia; and of acids, ° 
341b. of sulphuric acid, 201b. of phos- 
phoric acid, 101b of hydrochloric acid— 
in all, 1701b. of inorganic matter. This 
was for tubers alone; and if an equal 
quantity were allowed for the tops, the 
quantity taken would be about doubled, 
— Manures. — 
It is, therefore, evident that, to grow 
potatoes to perfection, the foregoing 
constituent elements must be present in 
the soil. Professor Wilson found the 
best results 'to be obtained by preparing 
the soil early, and applying phosphatic 
and potash manures some time’ before 
planting, in the proportion of’ about 
150lb. to the acre. At the’ time ~ of 
planting, nitrate of soda is sown into the 
drills at the rate of 1 ewt. per acre, and 
froth 3 to 2 owt. at’eatthing-up tinie, 
On light, poor, sandy soils nitrogenous 
manures’ in’ the form’ of sulphate’! of 
THE AUSTRALIAN GARDENER: 
ammonia should be applied at the rate of 
from 140]b.\ to 1701b. to the acre—one 
half to be used at the time of planting, 
and the other half at the final: earthing- 
up. 
The matter of farmyard ‘manures for 
growing potatoes is a somewhat vexed 
question. Undoubtedly'farmyard manure: 
is good, provided that it’: has » been 
properly fermented and well décomposeds 
but there is nothing more’ fatal’ to" good 
results with potatoes than putting fresh 
manure and potato sets together,’ for the’ 
young plant can never force its way 
threngh the fermenting mass of decay 
consequont upon slow decomposition.” 
Some interesting experiments, made in 
* Engiand by Mr. E. B. Hodley, Agri- 
cultural Superintendent to the Wilts 
County Council, threw considerable light 
on the matter of the use of artificial 
_ manures. The seasons were dry ones, and 
therefore wore favorable to farmyard 
manure than to artificials, the yield from » 
its use being considerably in excess of 
that obtained from the heaviest dressing 
_ (122 ecwt.) of mixed artificial manures. 
Where nitrogen, phosphoric acid, and 
potash have been applied in artificials, 
excellent crops have been obtained; but 
the heaviest crop of all was 14 tons per 
acre as the average of four years, grown 
where 8 tons of farmyard manure and 4 
cwt. of sulphate of 
per acre were applied. 
ammonia 
The complete 
chemical manure was applied on different 
plots atthe rate of 4 cwt., 8 cwt., and 
12 cwt. respectively.. Taking the averages 
for the four years, the 8 cwt. dressing 
proved the most economical, although 
the 12 cwt. dressing gave a somewhat 
heavier yield. When any one of the 
three constituents of the complate 
manure was omitted, there was a decrease 
of yield. Where the nitrate was onritted, 
the increase resulting’ from the applica- 
tion of kainit and superphosphate was 
not sufficient to pay for the cost; where 
superphosphate was omitted, the applica-- 
tion of nitrate and kainit gave very tittle 
profit in excess of that obtained from the 
unmanured plots; and, although. were 
kainit was omitted the yield most nearly . 
approached that obtained from the com- 
pletely manured plots, yet,’even in’ this 
August 2, 190% 
that 
obtained with a cheaper dressing of com- 
case, the profit was less than 
plete manure. 
of this 
nature, it should he remembered that: 
In conducting experiments 
artificial or farmyard manures will not 
invariably produce the'same results on ' 
different soils.’ The rich, black soils of 
the Darling Downs;-for instance contain 
certain constituents which are wanting in 
lighter western or coast soils. In some 
there may be alréady.a sufficiency of / 
phosphoric acid ; consequently, an appli- 
cation cf superphosphate might ‘prove 
injurious. Where cultivation grounds 
are deficient, as most of them are, in 
phosphoric acid, it becomes necessary, in 
order to obtain a better crop, to secure 
8 pport in the form of an easily soluble 
phosphoric acid. Bonedust is a phos: 
phoric acid manure which gives this 
result ; but superphosphates produce 
better and quicker results. 
For potatoes, a fertiliser rich in potash 
is essential. Fcr general purposes a good 
mixed fertiliser for this crop should 
consist of—Available phosphoric acid, 7 
per cent, ; potash, 11 per cent. ; nitrogen, 
3 per cent.; 7001b. to the acre, 
Sulphate of potash is mostly employed 
as a source of potash for potatoes. 
Muriate of potash ‘is said to give even 
better results than the formur. 
Dried blood contains, on an average, 11 
to 13 per cent. of nitrogen but it is less 
soluble than sulphate of ammonia and 
nitrate of soda. 
sulphate of ammonia should not be mixed 
with lime, nor applied to land which had 
been recently limed. 
The value of kainit lies in its potash, of 
which it contains 12 per cent. It is the 
cheapest of potash manures. 
(To be continuad ) 
THE AUSTRALIAN 
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