The Sun.
London, England, 1847-02-22 00:00:00

THE PROSPECTS of the POTATO
CROP.—GOVERNMENT INQUIRY.
At the beginning of last month the Poor-law Com-
missioners announced to the Assistant Commissioners and
others, that Government was 'anxious to receive infor-
mation from leading gentlemen of practical experience,
on the following point connected with the failure of the
potato crop during the last and present year, viz.,
" whether any sorts of that root have not been more or
less than others injuriously affected ?" It was also
stated that the object of Government in directing an in-
quiry into this branch of the subject appears to be to
collect such information as may serve as a guide to
farmers who are making choice of sorts for planting ;
and looking to the probability of future failures, it is a
question of paramount importance, and to which atten-
tion does not hitherto appear to have been sufficiently
directed.
In accordance with the wish above expressed, Mr.
Hawley, the Assistant Poor-law Commissioner, ad-
dressed a letter fram Durham to Mr. Milburn, of Thorp-
field, Thirsk, to which he received the following reply:—
" Thorpfield, Thirsk, Jan. 26, 1847.
" Sir,—l beg to inclose replies to your queries in re-
ference to potatoes. I have paid a great deal of attention
to the matter, and am quite convinced that no causes,
such as I infer are thought of by the tone of queries, are
so far in operation as to account for the disease. Both
the old and the new kinds were equally affected, and
those which escaped most in 1845 suffered most in 1846.
" I am aware how very little value opinions are of in
the matter ; but I think the following statements are
justified by facts
" Ist. That in 1845 the white varieties and late va-
rieties suffered most by the disease. 2d. That it mani-
, felted itself most about the 12th of October, and pro-
gressed after they were removed from the ground most
severely. 3rd. That all kinds were most tree from dis-
ease which were taken up early, say, before the Ist of
October. 4th. That the disease was most in wet and
clay districts, and least felt in dry and sand districts, as
at Thirsk and Doncaster. sth. That very diseased sets
still had vitality, and would produce plants, in some
cases less tainted by disease than the sets free from dis-
ease would do.
" While, 6th, in 1846, the red varieties were the worst
diseased. 7th. That the disease manifested itself in one
night, say, about the 23rd of August, all the tops being
blackened as if by frost, though the night was thick
and oppressively hot ; but no progress was made by the
disease after the plants were removed from the soil.
Bth. That the early kinds were the worst, and those the
earliest removed from the ground suffered the most. 1
think it probable that this year they improved by laying
in the soil. 9th. The districts most free from the disease
in 1845 were the most affected in 1846, to wit, Thirsk
and Doncaster, sad sand districts.
" My opinion on the whole is, that it is owing to that
mysterious law of nature, that bounds shall be set to the
great increase of any species of animals or plants, and
thus the balance of creation shall be duly kept. . . •
" My impression is, also, that the disease will be less
severe in this year than last, and by and by it will wear
out as the " curl" in potatoes. and the dry rot have done
before, but not before there is much misery and suf-
fering

" I trust her Majesty's Government, in carrying out
their preseit judicious and merciful measures for Ire-
land, will provide seed corn, especially rye, which will
grow on the poor soils of that country, and be a tran-
sition from a delicate exotic vegetable to a hardy one,
less accustomed to suffer by variable influences. Better
to pay the Irish for growing and tilling their own soil
and find them seed, than have a nation of paupers.—l
have the honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
"MATTHEW MARMADUKE MILBURN.
" To W. H. T. Hawley, Esq."— Leeds Mercu
PASSAG

E OF THE STRAITS OF
MAGELLAN.
(From the Liverpool Mercury.)
IMPORTANT TO SHIPMASTERS.
The following letter well deserves the attention of
those of the nautical world interested in voyages to the
west of South America :
" TO THE EDITORS OF -THE 'LIVERPOOL MERCURY.'
" Gentlemen,—l shall feel obliged if you will give in-
sertion to the annexed remarks on the passage of the
barque Cape Horn, of Glasgow, under my command,
through the Straits of Magellan, on her last passage
front Valparaiso to this port.
" On Monday, November 16, 1846, at eight P.M., we
made the Evangelists, bearing N.N.E. five miles, wind
west, and tolerably clear •, at midnight Cape Pillar bore
S.S.W. three miles, and by keeping the starboard shore
on board, strangers will find no difficulty in finding Long
Reach. On Tuesday, 17th, at noon, we entered Crooked
Reach ; at ten P.M., were off Port Famine, which is a
safe anchorage ground, and where there is a Chilian
settlement, at which refreshments can be easily pro-
cured. On Wednesday, 18th, at 430 P.M., came to
anchor in Gregory's Bay, in fifteen fathoms; good hold-
ing ground. On Thursday, the 19th, at 330 A.M., got
under weigh; at 7 30 A.M., entered the First Narrows,
with a strong flood tide against us, which we found no
difficulty in stemming. At two P.M. we were clear of
the Straits. At six P.M. we rounded Dungeness ; and,
after the experience of four voyages round Cape Horn,
in September, 1843, August, 1844, August, 1845, and
the present voyage, I must say that the wear and tear,
owing to the bad weather we encountered, with heave
cross sea so prevalent between the west entrance to the
Straits and Cape Horn, contrasted with the passage
through the Straits from the west caast is, in my opi-
nion, not to be compared; and had I another passage to
make at the same season of the year, or in the winter
season, with moonlight, I would take the Straits for my
passage. The risk of life and property, and the war
and tear in the one, are not to be compared with the
other.—Yours,

" JOHN LONGMUIER, Master.
k‘ Liverpool, 36, Upper Pitt-street. Feb. 11, 1847."

FOREIGN RAILWAYS.

The Journal des Chemins de Fer furnishes some fur-
ther interesting information relative to the progress of
the railway system on the continent of Europe. The
details in the present instance are chiefly confined to the
undertakings opened or in course of construction in
Belgium and Holland.

The progress of railway construction in Belgium
is thus described :—ln the year 1835 the line from
Brussels to Malines was opened, being 20 kilometres
in length. In the year 1836 the line from Malines
to Antwerp was opened, being 26 kilometres in length.
In the following year, 1837, the three lines, Malines to
Louvain, 20 kilometres; Termonde to Wetterin, 10 kilo-
metres; and Louvain to Tirlemont, 25 kilometres, were
opened. In 1838 the Tirlemont to Ans, 45 kilometres;
the Wetterin to Gand, 23 kilometres; the Gand to
Bruges, 30 kilometres; and the Bruges to Ostend, 36
kilometres, were opened. The lines from Gand to
Courtray, 44 kilometres, and from Landen to St. Troud,
10 kilometres, were opened in 1839. In 1840 the Brus-
sels to Jubise line, 25 kilometres, was opened. In 1841
the Jubise to Jurbise, 25 kilometres, and the Turbise
to Mons, 10 kilometres, were opened. The Ans to
Liege, 3 kilometres ; the Mons (French frontier), 27
kilometres; and the Courtray (French frontier) lines,
27 kilometres, were opened in 1842. The lines opened
in 1843 were, Liege to Chaudfontaine., 12 kilometres ;
Chaudfontaine to Verviers, 16 kilometres; and Verviers
to the frontier of Prussia, 12 kilometres. The line
opened in 1844 was that from Mouscron to Tour-
nay, in length 19 kilometres. In 1845, the
Braine-le-Comte to Charleroy, 23 kilometres ;
the Godardville to Gosselies, 21 kilometres,
and the Charleroy to Namur, 37 kilometres,
were the three lines opened. The lines opened in 1846
were the Antwerp to St. Nicholas, 1$ kilometres ; tied
the Bruges to Thourout, 32 kilometres ; this making
the total length of railway up to the end of that year,
including the interior branch of the Antwerp, 3 kilo-
metres, and the Junction Line of the Brussels, also 3
kilometres, 609 kilometres. Among the lines specified,
only those from Antwerp to St. Nicholas, and from
Bruges to Thourout were constructed by private enter-
prise, the whole of the others being carried out at the
expense of the State. It, therefore, appears that the
Government works include 559 kilometres, of which
362 kilometres are double rails, and 197 kilometres
single rails. According to official accounts, the sum
expended by the Belgian Government in these under-
takings amounted to 159,174,827 f., which is at the
rate of 1,339,130 f. 85c. for the league of 5 kilometres.
The lines in course of construction, and for which
special concessions have been granted to particular
companies,include the Liege and Namur, length 70
kilometres, estimated to cost 18,000,000 f. ; the At ,
to Termonde, length about 50 kilometros, estimated
expense about 12,000,000 f. ; Manage to Mons, length
25 kilometres, estimated expense 5,000,000 f. ; Lou
vain to Jemmappes, length 55 kilometres, estimated
cost 20,000,000 f ; Jurbise to Tourney, length 48 kilo-
metres, estimated cost 8,000,000 f. ; St. Trond to Has-
sett, length 15 kilometres, estimated cost 4,000,000 f. ;
the lines of the Sambre-et-Meuse, length 94 kilometres,
estimated cost 10,000,0.00 f. These concessions, grant. d
in 1845, show works undertaken to the extent of
423 kilometres, which will require an outlay approach
ing 101,000,000 f. Independent of the railways
already mentioned, others are projected, among
which should be noticed the Erquelinnes and Charleroy,
and the Great Luxembourg, both being regarded as
exhibiting features of importance connected with
the routes proposed to be opened by them. It is
mentioned with regret that up to the present momentd
the want of cordial feeling between the Be!giarifaih,
Dutch authorities has prevented the continuation oßtrae.
Belgian Northern line from Antwerp to Northern,t.
the
Bra-
bant, the result of which would be the connexion h
lrianielws,ayanndettwheorokpoeuf
opening
gollaonf dawditihretchte French
lines,gl communicationnd
be-
tween Amsterdam, the Hague, Rotterdam, and the whole
of the Pays Bas with Paris.
In Holland the lines opened to the public to the end
of the year 1846 were those of Amsterdam to Haarlem
(opened in 1839), 18 kilometres in length ; Haarlem to
Leyde (opened in 1843), 28 kilometres in length ; Am-
sterdam to Utrecht (opened in 1843), 36 kilometres in
length ; Ley de to the Hague (opened in 1844), 15
kilometres in length ; and the Utrecht to Arnheire
(opened in 1845), 129 kilometres in length; making the
complete extent of railway communication in ac!ive
operation in the Netherland kingdom at that date 226
kilometres. The Government of the country are still
occupied with arranging the necessary plans to perfect
their system. At this moment the line from th
is being carried forward to Rotterdam, and fromhe Aa:rune.
heim to the frontier of Prussia; besides' which theworks
between Rotterdam and Utrecht are in full activity.have been
To
sum up these arrangements two concessions
recently made, one for a line in Dutch Brabant a"
een
ant and. the
other for a line in the Eastern Netherland" provinces,
bordering on Hanover and Rhenish Prusi
111 AN

CHINER, FEII. 20. —'BOROUGH ELECTION.—
At a meeting of Lord Lincoln's committee, held yesterday, it
was resolved that a deputation should proceed to London on
Tuesday next, to present the requisition, asking his Lordship
to offer himself as a candidate for the representation of the
torouila.-41ft4eAster Guardian.