The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-10-11 00:00:00

SUBSTITUTES FOR POTATOES;

We are threatened with something like a potato
famine, and those who remember the similar disaster
in 1646 do not need to be tola how grave is now the
prospect, with a vastly increased population, and a
state of depression in trade which signifies on the part
of the masses a great difficulty in providing even the
commonest and cheapest necessaries of life. Many
and well-intentioned are the suggestions which are
being made with the view of providing substitutes
for the potato. The French haricots blancs or
flageolets, lentils, rice, maize, and oatmeal are the
substances which are brought most prominently
forward as being fit to replace the favourite tuber.
In one respect—the quantity of nitrogen which
they contain—they all, but especially the legu-
minous examples, greatly surpass the potato as an
economical nutriment. But, unfortunately, they are
all deficient in autiscorbutic elements. Under a diet
of these substances, either alone or with the trifling
amount of fresh animal food which is all that tens of
thousands of persons can obtain, scurvy would be as
rife as it was in Ireland and North Britain in 184i-47.
Nevertheless, all these foods are very valuable, and it
only needs that the particular point in which they
fail should be recognised and supplemented. If this
be not done disease must ensue, and the nutriment
fall into disfavour. Any of these substances may be
used with advantage where either an abundance of
milk forms part of the dietary, or the antiscorbutic
element can be furnished by fresh green vegetables,
onions, or the juice of oranges or lemons. —The Lancet.

On the subject of "Potato Disease" the Mark Lane Express
publishes the following letter :
Sir,—The alarming condition of the potato crop
this autumn induces me to ask you to re-produce an
interesting fact which appeared in the Times about
1857. I find in my note-book that a clergyman in
Gloucestershire reported it as follows :—A parishioner
of his laid out a potato field in butts. On number one
butt he placed farm-yard manure, on number two a
lesser quantity of farm-yard manure and salt, number
three was treated similarly to number one, and number
four the same as number two, and so alternately. The
disease visited the parish during the following August
or September, and also the above field, and that por-
tion of the crop was unsound which was fertilised with
farm-yard manure only, whilst the other was sound.
I do not affirm from this remarkable result that salt
Is an effective preventative against potato disease,
because an isolated experiment does not establish a
rule; but I earnestly recommend the growers, espe-
cially in Ireland, to test the foregoing during the
ensuing season, remembering that the disease, though
it appears suddenly, disappears slowly.7.—l am, Sir,
&c,, SA3II:TEL DOWNES, Albany, Liverpool, Sept. 30.

On the subject of a probable "Potato Famine " The Times
also publishes the following letter :

Sir,—The phrase "potato famine" is being so
generally used in the Press, and its introduction is
creating so much groundless apprehension, that as the
perhaps, largest foreign potato factors in London, we
ask you to enable Ul to make it known that the
supplies from certain Continental countries alone will
this year be Bo large as to compensate, in respect of
quantity, for even the current extraordinary deficiency
in our home crops.
We do not doubt that from time to time prices for
the best class of potatoes may rule high, but, even in
this case, not so high as in any way to justify the use
of the phrase referred to.—We are, Sir, yours obedi.
ently, M. IseAcs AND SONS, 60, Fenchurch.street,
and Cotton's Wharf, London, Oct. 4.