Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-11-07 00:00:00

THE POTATO DISEA?E.

The disease among potatoes, which first manifested
itself in this country eight years ago, and prevails at
present to a fearful extent, has since its appearance paid
an autumnal visit, although, till the present season, it was
of less extent. Of the injurious effects of this disease
there is no doubt, but of its cause a wide field for discus-
sicn is open, which admits of such controversial opinions,
that no clearly defined decision can be arrived at. By
some authorities it is con'endt d that the disease is in ti e
plant, and is matured at specific periods ; by others, it
is sugge ttd that the land is first impregnated
with tt, e poison which rears the disease, and
inoculates the root of the potato plant ; farther, it is
considered that. a blight is the cause of the disease, and in
support of the latter it is observed that invariably the
disease takes a straight tract of land, through a county,
infecting to a certain width, and making no distinction
as to locality or exception as to quality of soil, as hill
lands and low grounds come within its scope ; and soils,
either poor or fertile, are equally visited ; yet it is
remarked that rich land engenders the disease more
generally than soil not so prolific; sa that by
the disease taking, as it is imagined a particu-
lar line or course, it is presumed that, if blight,
it is wafted in the wind and scattered with the
flowing wave of air; and should this last pro-
position be sound in theory, no scientific or other
experiment can avert the evil; but should any other
ascribed cause be practically demonstrated, every effort
ought to be strained to chick, mitigate, or remedy this
potato disease, and despite insuperable difficulties that
may surround it, yet the mailed exertions of scientific and
practical men might acco,npli=h a desirable object and .a
national good, in the discovery of a remedy or preventive
to this much c, mplained of scourge. The reports from
Scotland are the same as in this country hat the disease
is p-evalent, and alt hough the crops are prolific, yet any
are rendered valueless, and the present price of potatoes
is 50 per cent higher than would have been the case had
the disease not set in. It is somewhat remarkable that
the early crop of potatoes escaped disease, but the late
crops in all parts simultaneously became infected and
destroyed by the disease. A proposed remedy for this
widely-spread calamity has been suggested by Mr. James
D.-L=l°nd, gardener, near Edinburgh. His theory of the
cause and means of prevention of disease seems very ra-
tional, the first being attributed to the continual cutting of
the potato tuber, and the planting of these dismembered
ally weakened and liable to contract disease. The remedy
he proposes is to replant from the native seed gathered from
the wild potatoe, which abundantly grows is the moun-
tains of Chili, in South America, as he avers that the
plant in its natural state has never become diseased. He
further states that in two years after planting the seed
would produce a matured crop of heathy potatoes, and
these again should be planted whelp and widely set in
fields.

The Nstional Bank of Genoa has raised its rate of
discount from 7 to 7,1 per cent.
'Ns LATE MK ;SULLIVAN.—BY the last advices from
Lira we understand that one of the accAmplices in the
mu-dcr of this gentleman, a well klown robber and
assarsir, has been ar eared by the Peruvian authorities,
an'l is now in safe custody.

GALWAY IN IHE DAUK. The Gas Company of GJlway
will not consent to the prices consult red by the inhabitan's
to be fair, on comparison with Ihe rates prevailing in other
place; and to bring the directo-s to teasor, the people
have r so!ved to cut off the gas. Very Irish !
AS3ASSINATICN iF A FRw clt C.7L')NEL IV ALGERIA.—
The Algiers journals announce that as Lientn it-Colonel
Isrougt, of chi 70th regim nt, in garrison at Boni, was
1 itely taking a walk at a short disteece from the advanced
poets of the camp of the Oued Zerga, he was shut decd by a
Tunisian maraud. r. The Hilau's reason for the crime is not
stated, nor is it s 'id that he was arrested.
THE "CLUB CIENTIFIQUE" AT PARIS.—MEETING OF
INVENTORS.—On Nonla, , the 16th November, will he
o;iened in Pal is a new club— the Scientific Club—,firtich
the basis was hid down at the moathly 'lnner held by the
scientific editors of all the Paris j urnals. Thete edit.irs
will form tha centre of the new club; to which, howeve-,•
will soon be added the most dieting iished zavants of Paris

A greet number of Russian families of rank lave alreody
domiciled themselves in Rome, an I houses are taken for
several distinguished English who pirpuse mak.
ing the Eternal City V'eir head quarters this winter.
Ani,ngst the rec 3; t arrivols are General Riwel,..n and Lady
Cremorne, Lady J C)Ionel and Mrs. Caldwrll,
Colonel an I Mrs. Nesbit, Mrs. Dennistour, of Dennif.-
to:in ; Mr. Graham, of Gartm ee, and Mr. D ugl s,
Sandf•rd. The Rijit Hon. R. Lowe has left Rome for
Floiere>, en h's way to EnLl

HIGHWAY Rcß HERIES I FR.LNCF.—The Var says:—
" The delligence from Luc to Vidauban wis stopped the
night bef re last (be 1.30 by two men, well armed. One
of them ordered the postillion to s'op, and the other cut
the trace,. Thy then with great coolness went re und to
the several passengers and forced them to deliver up their
money. Only one pal san ventured t) refuse, namely an
officer in the navy, vho pos'tively decl teed that ha would
nut give one sou. The robbers seemed at first incised to
treat him PI, but in the end they leek their departure
without tnolesing him. The sums taken from the pLssan•
gers are s a'ed to have been but trifling."
A TALI, OF A. TIGER .—A few da)s ago (the narrative
in all the jonctia,ls) a Bang tl tiger, on its way from the
docks where it had been landed, to the premises of Mr.
Jamrach, an importer of such luzuri s, broke 10-se, and,
after runn'ng .crouchingly along the street, sprang upon
a poor child, and mangled him cruelly. Mr. Jamrach
rushed to the rescue with a crowbar, and was dealing the
savage aninahl a series of heavy blows, in order to deliver
the boy, when the editor of a penny humanitarian paper
came up, and begked Mr. Jamrach nit to be hard on the poor
be, st, who knew na better than to mangle children, and had
also a grievance in being restrained from his wild liberty.
M. Jamrach rudely shoved the mediator out of the way,
and wilt a few more vigorous strokes diEconifi ted the
brute, and sa-ed the chile's life. The editor is virt:ously
indignant, and d. chores that Jamtach is no better than
Ha velcck and Wilson.—Punch.
RESTORATION OF PICTURE i TO ScorLAND.—We ate
glad to learn that, upon the representation of several
distinguished noblett ea and gentftmen connected with
Scotland, her Majesty his been graciously pleased to
command that two pwures, which were removed from
Stirling Castle to Hampt n Corn very many years ago,
shall be reJored to Scott nd. The pictures are suppos d
to have hen painted by Jan de Mabuse, and they represent
"James the Fourth of Scotland, his brott er Alexander,
and Saint Andrew," and "The Queen of James the
Fourth with Saint George;" they were sent from Hamp-
ton Court with several other picatrics to the Manchester
Ar'-Treasures Exhibition, where they were much admired;
and, in consequence of the representation already men.
t oned, they will be forwarded from Manchester to
Holyrood Palace, and be exhibited to the public in the
apartment known as Lord Darnley's dining-room.--
Scotsman.