The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-09-28 00:00:00


THE POTATO DISEASE.

In connection with this subject, which is one. of
maluiclual as well as general interest, the following
have also been sent to The Times for publica-
tion :
Having given much attention to the stake of tha potato
crops and to the causes of disease which existed to such •
sad extant In Ireland during the years 1844, 11144, and 1848, I
am the better prepared, more especially from the numerous
communications made to me at the time, and from my own
notes during those years, to judge of the condition of the
crops, and of the serious destruction to them apprehended
In entire districts in England, and also in many parts of
Acothand, the present year.
was, fortunately, in the South of England in the month
of July, and eiserved the variable states of the atmos-
phere which dlrmred from the list to the 24th of that
month—a warm and damp atmosphere, with cold and
foggy exhalaticlks during the night, the atmosphere highly
charged with electricity, amt with frequent lightning and
thunder storms. Precisely the same weather occurred
in Ireland to the early part of August, 1845, which
caused such extensive destruction to the potato crops
throughout that country. Freedom, to such vicissitudes of
the weather I had noticed the potato crops In the parts of
England which I had visited to present • peculiarly luxu-
riant and apparently healthy state, a rather rapid develop-
ment of growth excited by the previously wet weather,
which was frequent in the early part of the summer. The
haulms especially presented • strong and luxuriant state of
growth. 'towards the end of Augu,t I again visited that
part of England, and noticed the evil which had been caused
to the haulms by the weather which was so unfavourable
during the latter part of the month of July.
I should premise that at a meeting of the Natural His-
tory Society of Dublin, held on the 14th of November,
1841, a paper was read by Dr. Bellingham, Fe low of and
Professor of Botany to the Royal College of Surgeons, Ire-
land," "On the History and Causes of the Potato Disease,
with suggestive remedies, and eapecially with reference to
the Disease which attacked the Potato in Canada during
the Autumn 01 1511" In that paper he clearly explained the
causes of disease to be attributable to atmospheric agency—to
the highly electric states with which the air was charged,
and to the effects of much lightning, which had destroyed
the haulm, (stint which were at the time, by the action of
combined heat and moisture, in a too luxuriant state of
growth cutting od from the tubers the nourishment neces-
sary to their then uurtpeued state of development. This
was followed by observations which I had made upon the
characteristic fungi that were supposed by many to be the
uriginathig or predisposing canoe of the disease.
At the time of that meeting most of the potatoes through-
out the country had been dug out, and, in the usual manner
among the farmers, put into pits and covered for winter pre-
servation. All those thus dug out and pitted previously to
and during the month of October, notwithstanding every pro-
cess recommended for drying, and means of absorption
of moisture, completely rotted. Those which had been so
dug 1 recommended should be removed from the pits
and stored in such a manner that the air should have
free aacess, and every process of drying resorted to, but
all was of little avail to check the progress to decay.
Thoee potatoes which had not been dug I strongly advised
should net be removed from the ground, but, with fresh
earthings, should remain unclog the greater part of the
winter. The reasons fee such treatment and the results shall
be concisely given In the paper referred to by Dr. Belling-
ham he states, "I have seen many instances where the
potatoes, In the early stage of the disease, where thrown
aside on the furrows (us was, indeed, the common practice
with the people at first), which in • few days became per-
fectly unlit for food, though when dug they were but little
damaged."

Itter

First, then, with regard to the fungi. It!. singular that
any one conversant with pathology, or with physiological
reasoning, could suppose tlat a healthy substance would
present symptoms of disease predlspused by a fungus. The
fungus, both in animal and vegetable physiology, would
rather result from an unhealthy condition, or gangrenous
state of decomposition, than mycelia would exist to ger-
minate in a healthy state of vegetable organisms. All her-
baceous plants In their autumnal decaying states are sub-
ject to their peculiar parasitic huigi—thus, when the
haulms of the potato° became withered either by natural
decay or by the effects of atmospheric causes, the fungi be-
came apparent even before the tubers had traces of decom-
position, or of the slightest forms oof fungi, discernible in
them. On the stems which I had examined the rufous.
coloured !toed of Botrutie lateritia were conspicuously to be
seen forming, also Dactylium tenuisaimum, with the pretty
buff and white species of Fueieporia and species of Prilonia.
None of these could be traced in the tubers until their
exposure to the atmosphere caused decomposition in the
watery cells of the tubers. In decaying vegetable marrow
now examined letunitporium Aurantiacum Is largely de-
veloped, which in the fresh or healthy state of the vegetable
was not present.
From a continued course of obs.rvatione no fungus or
species of BotrytUi, Peilonia, or of other genera, could be
found as a predisposing cause. Fungi must be regarded as
the effect of decay, not as the cause of disease.
To understand the more important poiets it will not be
necessary at present to enter into a discussion of the state,
of soil, seed, or cultivation, but at once to grapple with the
main features, which promptly require attention.

- -
I have observed that the unusually warns and moist states
of the atmosphere had Induced an unseasonable growth of
the haulms and tubers, more so in the latter, especially in
heavy and highly-manured lands. In light, sandy, or In
peaty soils the level .pment was less rapid, and, consequently,
the state of the tubers less liable to &composition.

The tuber in connexion with the underground stem of the
plant is formed of an accumulated growth of cells, and
which cells are in their mature state filled with starch
granules, albumen, and a portion of saccharine matter.

•
Cellular structure or tissue is of rapid development, and
if the tilling of the cells does not keep pace with their for-
mation, an imperfect development must be consequent, and
the deficiency of starch may be occupied by a watery
constituent liable to decomposttion. In the tubers, diem
before decomposition occurred there would be found a
deficiency of quantity of starch, not of quality. The tubers
so circumstanced were clearly in an immature state of de-
velopment; consequently, on being removed from the
ground by too early digging and exposed to the atmosphere,
the watery portions in the tubers readily decomposed, and
the fungi then termed which previously were not present in
the tuber. These circumstances were particularly observ-
able in the early-planted potatoes or those that necessity re-
quired to be early dug out; while those which were planted
for late crops, and remained longer in the ground, were
found not so liable to decay.
From the foregoing observations it will be seen that the
cause of disease neither resulted from improper or injudi-
cious planting or bad condition of seed, but purely from
atmospheric causes affecting the tender state of growth of
the haulm or over-ground stem, and those tubers which were
either exposed to atmospheric influence in slightly-covered
drills, or by the too early digging out the crop.
From the very many communications made to me proving
those results twill only select a few—vie , from the western,
eastern, and north-west parts of Ireland, being replies to
the observations which I had made. They are from practical
agricalturists.

-
Ennlotymon, County of Close, 12th of November, 1845.
Mr Inmeto Daly :

" The late crops appear to be the healthiest in general,
particularly those in broken soils. Although the potatoes
appear only very slightly affected before digging out, yet,
after being dug and pitted in the best possible dry state, they
afterwards got quite rotten, even: those quite healthy and
sound when put into the pits."
From the recommendation I gave to leave the potatoes
undue he mentioned the intention of digging out every
second drill, and leaving the others undue. giving them a
further cowring. The results were communicated to me on
the 10th of February, 1846

_
1. The potatoes which were sound in the ground in De-
cember hut are still 80.

2. The potatoes which were left in the ground last October
and well covered are still quite sound.

3. The potaties in single drills, dressed up last October and
left In the ground, are still good and sound.

- • -
4. The disease only appears, and has increased since last
December, among those potatoes which have been dug out
last October and pitted. De concludes by saying "that,
from the observation I have made, my axed opinion le—
arn! now I speak from experience and facts—that a great
quantity of potatoes would have been preserved sound up to
tins tinie (the 10th of February, 1846) U they had been
allowed to remain in the soil until now..'

Other communications confirmed the above, and that po-
tatoes remaining undug in December still continued sound.

Mr. Hamilton SFMath, an extensile° farmer and agricul-
turist in the runty of Monaghan, stated to me on the 9th
of December, 1045, "that of those he dug out at the usual
periods and dried partly on the ground and more in a corn
kiln, carefully packed and stored In a cool, room, bootie, a
considerable quantity rotted, and that the portion of his
crop that he had dug out ant carefully stored was at each
turning showing Iola." lie further continues, "I am of
opinion that those tinting are much the safest. I have
carefully examined them, and can affirm that the disease
has not extended itself, nor would you meet with a basket
of rotted potatoes in six acres yet undug." The potatoes
which were left in poor soils or in boggy ground
all the winter were found in a perfect state of preservation.
He concludes by saying, in a letter to a relative in Dublin,
dated April 13, 1846,—. Tell your friend Mr. Andrews that
I haves good many sound potatoes yet, but • vast quantity
went the way of all flesh." You may say also that his
theory was undoubtedly the soundest one—that is, to allow
the potatoes to remain undug. All the potatoes which I
now have good were only dug out about three weeks since
'March, 1840), and those farmers who took his advice have
plenty of eating ones sound, and, better than all, prime
sound seed for their coming crop."
The Right Hon. John Wynne, of Haslewood, Sligo, late
one of Her Majesty s Land Commissioners, in his letter to roe.
dated the Otis of November, 1845, says —"I: quite agree with
what you have said respecting the undug potatoes, as you
will perceive by the treatment I have adopted." lie further
communicates on the 28th of November, 1845 :—" I have left
a good deal of the potatoes tuning, and shall leave them so
for some time. Those who have done Um same (as many
have) do not find that they are worse now than they were
three weeks or a month ago. My views of the disease quite
coincide with yours."-1 am, Ac.,