Potato Review

www.potatoreview.com POTATO REVIEW MARCH/APRIL 2022 21 HISTORY OF VIRUS-TESTING Virgin land challenges Four growers, including the Department in 1950 increased to six by 1956 and above 20 by 1970. In his mind, Father saw virgin land as complementary for the virus-free seed. He purchased the remains of a local estate which had run 18 farms. The old house/castle was in poor condition. It was pulled down and the 160-year-old trees on the policy parks were felled by the local timber merchant. This left 150 acres with a mess of enormous tree roots. For the next decade, the biggest bulldozer and diggers of the day were used to bury the roots producing virgin soil ideal for the plots. The VT plots were annually rotated around the farm. The castles stables made ideal compartmentalised storage for the increasing number of varieties that were passing through the production unit. By the 1960s, Majestic King Edward and Arran Pilot were beginning to wane in popularity and Pentlands were emerging - in particular Crown, Beauty and Dell. Father had his own discovery, a red variant of the poplar Craig’s Royal. He said a student had come to the farm house for Saturday lunch and mentioned he had seen a red rogue in the North Railway Field. It was given to one of the pickers in the squad who had taken it home for the pot. “That was no rogue, that was a Red Craigs Royal!” my father had exclaimed. They left John Marshall (JM). Lifting North Railway Field early 1950s. Covering hand planted potatoes early 1950s wee grey Fergie. Greenhouse Laboratory Dalreoch built 1950. Milton of Craigie Dalguise Pitlochry high grade plots Majestic JM @1950. Burying tree roots Duncrub virgin soil 1950-1960 Lifting scatter digger North Railway field. ➜