The Sun.
London, England, 1848-08-14 00:00:00

POTATO DISEASE.

The Council of the Royal Agricultural Society have
received the following statement from Lord Portman, in
reference to the potato crop in Dorsetshire,
"Bryanstene, July 31, 1848.—0 n the Ist of July my
gardener observed-the potatoes looking rather fading,
and day by day found the symptoms of disease increasing.
I desired him to dig those which were most affected on
the 19th and 20th. We found one-half were too bad for
the pigs to eat, and the other half sound. The hot
rain set in and stopped our work. The rain ceased on
the 27th, and we resumed the digging on the 28th.
We then found nineteenths rotten, and so offensiet ,
to the smell that I. directed them to be buried. The
remaining one-tenth were sound, and I have. placed
them on dry soil in long shallow heaps, and I We
carefully dusted them with quick lime, and covered thesis
slightly, hoping to preserve them for food. I have
heretofore tried all the experiments suggested, ,and
have found all to be useless except the plan which I
hare now adopted, because it alone has heretofore inva-
riably succeeded. The disease is very bad all around
me. The cottagers who planted late in the spring hiiis
quite lost their seed and labour, for the haulm is dead
and the tubers not larger than marbles; but those planted'
in January, early in February, and in the autumn, are
most valuable, because though now entirely checked,
they have obtained an edible size, if they happen to
fit to eat, and may be stored with lime for future use.
The crop is very large and fine, and would, but for this
visitation of Providence, have given a great supply of
tubers. Here we are filling the plots cleared of potatoes
with turnips and cabbages. -
(Signed) PORTMAN."
The disease has this week been fed by the close at-
mosphere, and frequent rains, accompanied by electric
influence from reperted thunder storms i the tops or
haulms- have died away rapidly, even where the bulbir
have not half arrived at maturity; yet upon examining
the roots the disease has not far extnded. some growers
are still hoping that the crops will escape; others enteral! .
fearful forebodings. Some are pulling up the tops ,atia,
leaving the bulb in the ground, others are digging and
selling at any price, while a third party leave . them to
take their chance. On waking our weekly inquiry in Lb.
markets of the metropolis, in the Borough we found 111.
salesmen abundantly supplied with very fine potatorl
from the counties of Bent, Surrey, Sussex, Essex, so"
Middlesex, which met a ready sale at about the priors
of the Saturday previous. The growers up from this
country admit that, although they found n some diseaca
potatoes when digging, there were not so many as soma
represented. Many -fields are free, entirely others have
about one sack in twenty Slightly touched. The yield
is immense, particularry ef the second early. The lets
or general crop is still green, and hopes are entertained
that such will escape.--tSpitalfields : Sales were brisk of
the prices of last weele.--7-Covent Garden : The salesmen-
had large consignments; not only from 'the counties nest
London, but also from -the • northern and eastern cowl'
ties.—Farringdon' and Partite-a Markets on Friday
Best Skews and ,-Regents. soli. at 41. a ton ; inferior oi
31. ditto. •

POTATO CROPS.
TO THE-EDITOR Oh' THE SUN.
Sin,—Considerfrig it: of great importance that the
public attention should be directed to the actual condi'
tion of the potato crops, I take the liberty of addressing
this communication to you in reference to these districts,
including Carnarvonshire and Anglesey. I make my gee:
meat from actual observation, and from facts with whim'
I am personally cognisant, so that you may rely uPcin
the correctness of what is stated. Throughout them"
districts the potato crops are universally die'
eased. The rapidity with which the diseaso
has manifested itself generally throughout these coon'
ties within the last fortnight is calculated to' produce
the most melancholy and distressing results. To judge
from the appearance of the haulms, and the effluvia
which is offensively appreciable on the adjoining rode'
the disease is this year mare extensive and more vtru
lent than it has ever been 'since its first appearance l'
11345. Indeed the appearance of the malady
is so universal as to convince me that DA%
pendently of any exciting atmospheric cause, there 1:0°;1
exist some material elementary detect in the p1?)41%.,
organism of the potato itself. As an instance of 0'
rapid progress of the disease, I will mention * c 115•
which is within my own knowledge. On last Tlaurscleri
week five American flour casks full of sound poutto°A
were taken up. At that time there were some diseitsc;
ones picked out. On Thursday last, from the same
measure of land, in the same field, and of the sale
kind of potatoes, the quantity of sound potatoes
was only three casks full, showing a loss,;
within ono week, of forty per cent. If the
crops be similarly affected throughout the kingdom as
they are in the districts with which I am acquaintle,
and unless something occurs to check the process of de,_
composition, composition, the industrial and poorer classes will, "ae
tween this time and the harvest of next year, be e%rgba
to severe trials. Ought not some official step W,
e 0
taken by those in authority with a view to obtain 0 n
information as would
_move the actual state of this Cro'
`information
every part of the kingdom?
I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
0. 0. ROBERTS'
Castle Hill, Bangor, Aug. 13, 1848.

EZRATUII.—By some extraordinary oversight
our impression of Saturday, the name of Lord P,_141;
meraton was printed for that of "Lord Nora3ol,l•
The announcement which was contained in our /130
tho
genet) from the French Republic was, obviously. t(), in
effect that the British Ambassador had a lengthen
tervlew with General Cavaignac on Thursday 16
Ike Rue de Varennes. al,
Jenny Lind is engaged for the Theatre TOY- a
Dublin. The arrangements are on a great scale, ° -
include Belletti, F. Lablache, Roger, and the orchestr :
and chorus from her Majesty's Theatre. The opera' I
be given are La Figlia, Lucia, Puritani, and Sonne.ars.;
Lula. The first week in October is fixed fur the "r"
opera. t of
In Scotland at present there is but one regiment
cavalry and two of infantry. Bri'
NORTII AMERICAN MAILS.--The steam•ship
IA9
tannin, Captain Lang, sailed from Liverpool on Saturl Is
afternoon, for Halifax and Boston, with the usual
and a large number of passengers. The hocuee.'"u,
mails by the steam-ship Hibernia, Captain Shaun
noo
which would leave New York on the 2d, and
the bth inst., are duo this day.

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MONEY and COMMERCIAL NEWS.

CITY, VIARTER TO THREE.
In the Cotton Market-IN-Liverpool on:Saturday the
sales were 4,000 bales, at steady rates. Railway S Jure:
were dull, and rather lower.
The letters from the manufacturing district.
Complain loudly of the almost indifferent manner of
Lord Palmerston in his reply to Mr. Disraeli ou
the River Plate question, and they go on to say
that the error of one Administration ought not
to be an excuse for the miserable diplomacy
of another, for his Lordship had sufficient material in the
Foreign-office left by his predecessor, to point out to
him the only course likely to effect a settlement ; and
it is much to be regretted that Lord Aberdeen was re-
moved from office just at the time when he would have
followed up the efforts he had commenced to remedy the
great error he committed in the original intervention.
Aa the French Government seems desirous of acting
with England in its foreign policy, a favourable opportu-
nity will arise for Lord Palmerston to endeavour to pre-
vail on the French to withdraw from the intervention in
the River Plate, and this will be the only chance of re-
storing our trade in that quarter of the world.
The continental advices appear to be of rather a
favourable character today, and but for the gloomy and
wet weather would have exercised a very favourable in-
fluence upon opinion generally in the City. The armis-
tice between the Austrians and Italians, and the proba-
bility of negotiations being renewed with Denmark,
have been commented upon with expressions of high
satisfaction, as being calculated to remove almost the
only present danger of an European war. The state of
Germany is perhups more a source of uneasiness to those
who look beyond the present time, than that of any other
foreign state.
The accounts from abroad do not advert generally
to unfavourable appearances for the harvest. In the
district of Arlon, Belgium, the crops were never more
abundant, and the potatoes promised well. Within
the last ten years, as is stated, the growth of grain,
has been tripled, and the barns this season will
scarcely suffice to contain the yield.
The Corn Market has advanced this morning, but
there is less excitement among the dealers than, from
the state of the weather, some had anticipated.
The Funds bad a slightly rising tendency upon the
foreign news, but the weather was sufficient to induce
renewed sales, and the market is kept, as it were, in
abeyance, though it is firm under circumstances. Con-
sols have been 851 to 861 for transfer, and 84 to
8611 for September. Exchequer-bills of June have
been 255. to 28s. premium, and East India Bonds 255. to
265. premium. Bank Stock has been 198 to 199. The
New Three and-a-Quarter per Cents. have been 861- and
since 87. The Three per Cents are 85i to SG,{.
The Foreign Stock market has been very quiet
again. Spanish Five per Cents. have realized 12 and
the Three per Cents. 22. Portuguese Four per Cents.
have been 171 to 18k. Brazilian new is at 69. Danish
Bonds are 68; and Dutch Two-and-a-Half per Cents.
481 to
Railway Shares are flat again, but the business doing
is insufficient to establish any material change in prices.

" - ONE CLONING
PRICES OF BRITISII FUNDS. O'CLOCK. PRICES.
Bank Stock 199 198 198
2 per Cent. Reduced Anna 86 85? 861/i 86%
8 per Cent. Consols Annuities 85% 86 86%
' NOW 314 per Cent. Antis.... ii6Wil 87 87
India Bonds, 10001...
Ditto under 1,0001. ......... 25 p 25 p
Consols for Account 85%3% 8614 86%
Eichequer Bills. 21,4 d. & 2d.
1,000/. March 25 28 p
1,000/. June 3O 34 p
' Small, March .. 29 p
PRICES OF FOREIGN FUNDS. OXE
' O'CLOCK.
Brazilian Bonds
Ditto, New, 1829 and 1839
Danish Bonds. 1825, 3 per Cent 6B 68
Mexican, 5 per Cent. 1846 161,c vi 163/
Spanish 5 per Cent. 1840.
Ditto. Account l2
Ditto, 3 per Cent 22
Dividends on the above payable in London.
Dutch 21A per Cent., 12 Guild.
Ditto, 4 per Cent. Certificates 70

CLOSING
PRICES.

PRICES OF PAID BUSINESS DONE CLOSING
RAILWAY SI/AItES.
Aberdeen 5O
Amber. Nott., Boston,
and Eastern Junction nt......
Ayrshire and Galloway.. 2% -
Belfast & County Down 16 ..... . -.- -
Birmingham and Ox-
ford Junction .... ... 20
Birmingham, Wolver-
hampton, and Dudley 10 .....
Birming.,Wolverh'pton,
and Stour Valley 131. 145...
Birkeahead, Lancashire,
and Cheshire Jun 10 ...... 7 .. . •. . . ..... •
Boston, Stamfd & Birm 5
Bristol and Exeter B5 - -
Ditto, Thirds
Iluokinghainthire... 14/. 4s.
Caledonian .
Ditto, Ualf Shares iis/
Do. New 10/. Pref..— 2% 27cs
Ditto,ClydesdaleJunc 50
Chester and Holyhead... 47%......
Ditto, Preference l5 ......
Clarence -
Do. let Class, 6 per CL 10
Do. 2d Class, 5 per Ct. 10
Do. Government Loan,
4 per Cent.
Direct London & Ports-
mouth -
Dublin and Belfast June 3O ..... -
Dundalk & Enniskillen:2o
-
East Anglia, 251., L. &
E. and L. and D...... 25 .....
Do., 181., E. & 11. ... 18
... Do., 31.105.
'Eastern. Couatie.s... ..... 20
• . Do. New Guaranteed
5 574
6 per Cent........... ••••••
Ditto,Extension,s per
Cent., No. 1 ..6/. 13s. 4d...•
Ditto ditto, No. 2...61. 131.4 d...
Do. North. & Eastern 50
Do., 5 per cent.
Do. Quarters ....
Do. New 23 —
Eastern Union, Class A
(late E. U. Shares) 25 ......
Ditto, Class A, ditto... 1

Ditto, Class B (L &
and B.)
Ditto, Class C, ditto— 17%%.....

_....••
Do. Scrip (6 percent.) 10 ...... • •••• *• *****
Ditto, ditto
Ditto (C. & E.) guar.
5 per cent............ 2% .
East Lancashire
Ditto, New
Bath, New Quarters 614 —
Do., 6 per Cent. Pre-
ference Quarters ... 214 —
East Lincolnshire ...... 23 ...... ... .. ........ ,
Edinburgh and Glasgow 50 ...... -- •••• • •••••
Ditto, Half Shares ... 15 .. ..
Ditto, Quarter Shares 12% — .
ZdinburghandNorthern 25 —
Ditto, New.. 614 —
Ditto, Newport l3 -
Ditto, ditto, New
Exeter,Yeovil, & Dorch. 2-,' —
Ditto, New
• Glasgow. Dumfries, and
Carlisle ..... ..... —Si. 65: 8d.... -- .
eitlasgow,Kiltuar., & Ayr 50
Ditto, New ... . 40 -•
Do. Preference Consul. 16 - • ....... • •••
Great Northern
Do., London and York 2%......
Great South. and West.

. ••• 0.0.•

l• .1•••

lo• .....

•• ....

.... -

1.• .0.

, • 0.•

.• "-•

11. ....

5

(Ireland) - 26
Great North of En gland.loo .....•
Ditto, New, 401 l5
Ditto, New, 30/ 3O
Ditto, New,ls/ l4 .; ..
Great Western 9O ... .. 811/2
... . Ditto, % Shares SO
Ditto, 14 Shares
'- ' Ditto, Fifths
Ditto, New 171........ 13 ... .. 101/2
Huddersfield and blanch. 28
Ditto, Thirds
Dull and Selby .. ...... 50 ......
Ditto, Half Shares ... 25 ......
' : Ditto, 1.1 Shares -
Lancaster and Carlisle... 50 .....
Ditto, Thirds
`Lancashire & Yorkshire 93
Ditto, ditto
Ditto, 1/2 Shares ...... 43 ...
'Do. Quarter Shares... 171/2 l3l/2% '• 13%
. . Do. Fifths...
. . Do: Sixteenths 614
+4__ .Do. Thirds (Keg.)..... 13 .....
Do. Now,Gua.6 per ct. 21/2 ...... 314
Do. Liverp. and Bury 43 ......
Ditto % (late Hud-
dersfield and She.) 3S
•" Dc(Waketleld,Ponte-
, tract, and Goole) ... 50
Do.( W. Riding Union) 6 .. ... —.........—
.•• , : Do. (Preston SE Wyre) 25
•
' Do.%Shares(A)... 9%. — ....
• Leeds and Bradford 5O .. ...
Leeds, Dewsbury, &c.... 50 ......
• . Do., Half Shares 221,4 •—... —
' - Do., (blue) Scrip...... 21/2. •
—.-
„Leeds and Thirsk ...... 10 -. ••• ..... .••••• ----
Ditto, New .............30
• Do., Prefer., 6 per CL 3;4.... .......
.Liyerpool, Crosby and
•• Southport. 314, -
Liverp., Manchester, and
Newcastle Junction... 21,E
Loudon &Blackwall...l3/. 63.8 d....
• Do• Extension ..... ... 221,4......
London, Brighton, anal
South C0a5t........ 50
Do. Conpol. Eighths. 40

El%
47
1814
1104,
101,i

Do. Guarant. 5 per et-, 9 ......
Do. Pref. Con. 5 per ct. 50 .. •••
Ditto, ditto.-- 1352 50 ......
Ditto, New Si., guar.
6 per cent.
LondonandGroenwich 1211534 d... ••
Ditto, Preference... 18117 a 2d...
London and N. Western 100 .....119 117 %.... ll9
Do. Quarters (L. & B.) 22 .......
Ditto, New
Ditto, Fifths ..... - .., 2 •••*" 6
Do. 40/•Shares(L.M.) 20 ......
Do. 101. M. & 13.) A. 9 ....•..10%
Do. 101. M. & B.) B. 9 ...... ......
Do. 10/. (M. & B.) C. 1 ... - 3 ••• 3
Load. &S. Western 5O ...... 42 42% ...... . 42%
Do, New 50/. ... -
Do. Now 40/. . 24 -
Do. Tenths (Consol.) 50
Ditto ditto ....
Ditto, Thirds ...... 111.135. 4d... 4% dis••••
Do., Now Scrip, 1848,
?ref. 7 per Cent, on
Deposit, and 5 per
Cent. on Calls ... 1/. 13s. 4d... --
London, Salisbury, and It
Yeovil .......•.. 1%........ ...............