The Sun.
London, England, 1847-03-04 00:00:00

THE PROPAGATION OF THE

POTATO.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES,

SIR,—I beg to submit to you some important remarks
on a new method of increasing the potato, which promises
to be of the utmost utility.

Ever since the introduction of the potato, now nearly
three hundred years, the general way of increasirg them
has been either by planting the small tubers whole, or
by dividing the large ones into two, three, and four sets,
but rarely making more than four sets from one tuber.
The present great scarcity of that valuable esculent, and
my own practical experience in the propagation and
management of plants, more particularly to the procuring
of a great number from some of the tuberous-rooted
kinds, induced me to turn my attention to the subject,
towards obtaining a much more abundant increase from
the potato than the present system gives. I have made
a trial of the method now so successfully practised for
the propagation of the dahlia, as follows :—The roots of
the dahlias are. taken up for preserving through the win
ter about the same time as the late-planted potatoes, and
stored from the frost; some of the sorts that are much
in demand and scarce it is now customary to put into
pots in December and January, and to place them in the
hothouse or hotbed, which causes them soon to show the
eyes just above the tubers; these are allowed to grow
to about two or three inches in length. They are then
taken off carefully so as not to destroy the eyes that are
formed at the bottom part of the young shoots; two eyes
are left on each of these shoots, which will give double
the quantity of cuttings, ready to take off in ten to fif-
teen days after the first lot, and every succession of cut-
tings may be expected to be much more numerous. I
have known instances when the almest incredible num-
ber of 500 good healthy plants has been made from one
dahlia root by the above mode of treatment. It will,
perhaps, be as well to mention that, by the old way of
propagating, viz., by dividing the root when in a dor-
mant state, it was scarcely possible to make more than
six or seven plants.
I now lay before you the result of my experiments
with the potato as far as time has permitted me.
I placed some tubers of four sorts in the hothouse and
treated them in every respect as the dahlias; they made
cuttings quicker, these cuttings rooted sooner than the
dahlias, and by the present thriving appearance of the
tubers, from which some cuttings have now been taken,
I have not the least doubt of their proving as prolific as
the dahlia. Some objections may be started to this
method of propagation in competition with the old estab-
lished system. My present endeavour is to provide in
some measure for the great deficiency of potatoes for this
season's planting, and I am convinced that, to a certain
extent, it will be found to be perfectly successful. I
think my suggestion will open a great field for improve-
ment in the culture of the potato, and may lead to many
experiments ; and some other advantages may be ex-
pected to be made known. I regret this idea did not
strike me earlier in the season, as it would have given
me an opportunity of placing before the public my other
experiments, which are not just now sufficiently matured,
although I feel quite satisfied they will come up to my
anticipations.

In order that this plan be fully and fairly tested, I
would venture to reeommend every gentleman's gardener,
or other parties having the opportunity, to commence
immediately to make the following trials:—viz., where
they have already planted the tubers in frames for the
first crop, and the tubers have made shoots, or not, the
mould to be taken off carefully, by hand, from one, two,
or more rows of the sets, so as to expose them, and some
light and pure soil, finely sifted, be put on directly, just
thick enough to cover the sets ,• by adopting this mode
good cuttings will be produced, and, if treated every
way the same as dahlia cuttings, they will readily take
root. On some of the earliest planted sets they will
probably be found, on removing the soil, to have already
made some growth; these should be taken off to near the
sets, they will throw out fresh shoots or cuttings very
soon, and every attention should be paid to promote the
growth and health of the tubers or sets, such as oc-
casionally to replenish the soil about them, giving air at
times to prevent a too rapid growth or the shoots will
become weak and succulent.
I am under the impression that if from twelve to
twenty cuttings were nut into each store pot in the
middle or latter end of. April, they would take root in
ten or tw eive days, and %% hen gradually hardened to
bear exro-ure they could at once be permanently planted
into gardens or fields with as much certainty and in a
similar manner as the turnip, cabbage, &c., are from the
seed beds ; and here I would suggest the propriety of
getting them out as soon as possible in order to prevent
the plants being checked too long, for the success of the
crop of all tuberous-rooted plants depends, in a great
measure, on their free and uninterrupted growth.
In a former part of my letter I expressed regret at not
having had the opportunity of making an earlier trial of
my plan, and that will very likely lead some persons to
inquire how I propose to manage with the young plants
that might be rooted in January and February, and
when they could not be planted in the open ground. I
beg to add my recommendation for that early time of
the 3 ear for the young plants would be either to put
them into large sized pots, or plant them in frames for
an early crop for the table, or to give stock, the tubers
would be ripe in time for re-planting out of doors fn
May, making two crops in one season ; and if of a new
and choice sort, I would re-pet the young plant, take
off the top for another cutting, and keep the young
plant for increasing, and I think it would yield many
cuttings it encouraged. This method might be pursued
to a great extent.
And probably this new method of propagation may be
a means of throwing some light on the much talked of
disease in the potato as to its origin ; my impression is,
that it arises from a very minute parasitical plant, which
attaches itself to the haulm and fills up the pores of the
leaves arid stems, checking the circulation of the sap,
and depriving the plant of all nourishment of the atmo
sphere, and that it is only in remarkable seasons this
parasite vegetates.
From experiments now making I expect some further
important results, which I shall be happy to make known.
EDWARD BROWN.
The Cottage, Slough, Bucks.

THE POOR-LAW.

We understand that the following is an abstract of the
opinion given by the Attorney and Solicitor-General, which
was referred to by Lord John Russell ou Friday night. It is
dated Oct. 16, 1846 :
"1. Two of the commissioners should sit as a board, and
they are not at liber.ty,. as they seem to have considered
themselves to be, to d!ibute the business of th commission
amongst themselve3, w distribute the business of the commission
amongst tbernselve3, witheat eventually referring it to the
board.
" 2. The commissioners are not bound to have the attend-
ance of their secretary at their board meetings.
"3. The commissioners ought to exclude from the-record
none of their correspondence that refers to their business
as commissioners.
"4. The commissioners are not bound to enter a minute of
opinion in every case, unless they shall finally- differ. [lt
has even been suggested that they should register opinions.]
" 5. Every communication relating to the conduct of any
of the officers, or to the business of the commission, should
be addressed to the party concerned in an official shape
(although private correspondence respecting the business
they have to do is not forbidden
information
all, or any of the commis-
sions, for thus they may obtain which is neces•
sary 'and useful, and need not be communicated to the board
under all circumstances).

The following is the opinion of an Assistant Poor-law Com-
missioner of the Poor Removal
"44 have no hesitation in giving my opinion that the Poor
Removal Act operates most harshly upon the aged and in-
firm poor—upon the class of poor most deserving of our
sympathies. I have no hesitation in saying that, during
the whole period since the passing of the Act, I have never
visited a board of guardians, I have never visited a union, I
have never conversed with a person, without hearing the
greatest dissatisfaction expressed at the measure. I have
never known an instance in which approbation of the law has
been expressed. I have heard the greatest dissatisfaction
expressed at the measure by ratepayers, and by the poor
applying for relief. lam bound to say the sooner the Act of
1 ist Session is repealed the better. the Act has a tendency
to induce the proprietors of close parishes to pull down their
cottages, and drive the poor from the
.place of their labour.
Everything is now done to force an irremovable person out
of a parish. The only paupers who have derived bened
from the Act are the Scotch and Irish."

AUSTRIAN DESPOTISM.
The blighting effect of Austrian despotism is sadly shown
in the following extract:—
"Every man in Austria pays an income-tax of seventeen
per cent., which must all come from the industry of the
country, and go into the pocket of the Emperor. For what
purpose? To enable him to establish schools, and provide
the people with the means of moral and intellectual culture?
To build railways and canals, and to furnish the people with
facilities for cheap and speedy intercourse and trade ? No ;
but chiefly for the maintenance of an army, for their de-
struction, if they attempt to improve their condition, by re-
modelling their social institutions; and for the support of
agents, who enter their social and domestic cir4es, to listen
to their most secret words, and watch their Most secret
actions.
"No trade can be carried on in Austria without a license
from Government, for which from five to ten shillings per an-
num are paid, according to the nature of the trade and the
advantages of the situations. If to-day a man take out a
baker's or tailor's license to work in Freiwaldan, and, in a
week, he finds a better opening in Lindewiesse, and deter-
mines to remove thither, he must take out a new license for
the latter place, which is but two miles distant, at the same
rate as before. And as those licenses cannot be had at all
without the recommendation of one of the local magistracy,
these ten thousand petty tools of despotism, for there are
ten thousand of them, are empowered to decide who and
how many may work at each trade. A man cannot kill a
lamb for his neighbour without a license. A poor tailor, who
came as a patient to Graefenberg, and had not the means to
pay his expenses, wished to work at his trade, in order to
earn the means of support. One of the guests gave him ern-
PloYment ; the poor fellow was delighted to have something
to do. Ed the tailors in Freiwaldan, hearing that the man
was exercising his trade without a license, instantly inter-
fered, and threatened to have him arrested if he did not
desist. He dared not set another stitch, and many times
afterwards a collection -plate was handed round to the guests
in the saloon on his behalf.—Six Months at Graefenberg.

SAYINGS BANKS IN IRELAND:A return of the
amount of deposits in the Irish savings banks has just been
printed by order of the House of Commons. The returns are
made up to the 20th of November last, and contain the fol-
lowing comparative statement of the amounts due to the
banks of the several provinces on that date and on the cor-
responding
to be for
day of 1845. The total amount
.of deposits ap-
pearslB4s. 1846.
Leinster £1,078,309 12 4
Ulster
Connaught 131,156 5 9 ...... 140,782 19 11
Munster 1,045,584 1 3 ...... 1,107,280 3 8

Gross Total. £2,876,388 10 7 ...... £2,882,166 3 9
The balance on the surplus fund account were, in the
total, in 1845, 11,023/. 3s. 3d. ; 1846, 10,915/. 2s. 2d. The
separate return for Dublin (included in Leinster in the
above table) shows the amount of deposits to have been on
the 20th of November, 1845, 635,8511. 35.; and in 1846,
485,1161. 2s. Bd.