The Sun.
London, England, 1846-02-26 00:00:00

THE POTATO DISEASE.

(From the Gardner's Chronicleand Agricultural Gazette.)
In the official report on the potato crop, by the late
Irish Commission, dated Nov. 7, 1845 lice p. 767,
184::), is the following paragraph. :—" It has also been
ascertained by actual experiment that potatoes, though
diseased, will grow and produce apparently healthy
plants." Nevertheless the Commissioners thought it
imprudent to recommend the employment of such po-
tatoes " except by way of experiment ;" thinking, no
doubt, that the evidence in their favour was inconclu-
sive. We greatly regret to state that the event has jus-
tified their caution. We are now in a condition to an-
nounce positively, that although diseased potatoes will
produce plants which for a few weeks appear to be
healthy, yet that they will not remain so, and that dis-
eased sets will perpetuate disease.
It was stated at the meeting of the Horticultural So-
ciety, on Tuesday last, that it had been for some time
rumoured that the new potato crop was again attacked
in forcing-houses by the al disease; that these rumours
had become so frequent as to cause strict inquiry to be
made into their truth ; and that the result of that in-
quiry was a confirmation of the reperts alluded to. Po-
tatoes were produced from Mr. Barres, gardener to
Lady Rolle, at Bicton, in which the disease had mani-
fested itself in a manner not to be mistaken—first, by
the appearance of a brown gangrene on the haulm
underground and in the neighbourhood of the old tuber,
and next by rotting blotches on the leaves. These po-
tatoes had been planted in the autumn. In the month
of January " they were as strongly and evenly above
ground as I ever saw a field of potatoes in May," are
Mr. Barnes's words. The disease was remarked upon
taking up a portion for transplanting to a hot-bed for
forcing. Of the samples produced to the meeting of the
Horticultural Society, one, and much the worst, was the
produce of " rather badly affected tubers;" in these the
whole of the underground haulm was already gangrened
and brittle. Another sample, from tubers supposed to
have been sound, also manifested the symptoms in
putrifying blotches on the leaves, accompanied by the
underground gangrene.
In addition to this Devonshire evidence, it was men-
tioned that plans in the garden of the Horticultural
Society, examined the previous afternoon, were found
in the same state, the underground haulm having already
begun to decay in blotches. It was added that these
plants were also obtained from diseased tubers, planted
for the express purpose of watching the progress of
growth. No trace of fungi could in their instance be
discovered on the decaying spaces, after the most careful
examination of some hours' duration ; but a white
mouldiness had manifested itself on the stems sent up
from Bicton.

But this is not all. Upon examining more carefully
the young potatoes formed by the diseased sets, we
found still further evidence of latent mischief. some of
Mr. Barnes's potatoes had formed tubers and roots
without haulm or foliage ; they are what are called in
Cornwall " Bobbing Joans." In one of these the brown
colour on the walls of the cells, the earliest symptom of
disease, was already appearing in numerous minute
places, in the very centre of the young potato (this po-
tato became black after twenty-four hours' exposure to
the air); others were decaying on the surface, and one
of them had already rotted away. We now, therefore,
warn the public that diseased sets will produce a dis-
eased crop. Not a shadow of doubt remains upon that
point.

But, unfortunately, this intricate question is not settled
by such an announcement. On the contrary, a far more
serious consideration remains behind. Can we regard
the sound (?) potatoes saved from tho diseased fields of
last year as fit for seed ? It may be rash to venture
upon any prediction concerning so wholly unknown a
subject ; but, nevertheless, the interests involved in this
question are so mighty, that we must be content to bear
the reproaches which may be poured upon us if we
hazard an opinion which the result may not confirm.
We venture, then, to declare thus early that great doubts
exist as to the fitness of seed of apparently sound po-
tatoes from diseased districts. That the remaining
potatoes of last year's crop are in an unusual
condition is certain ; they are more excitable ;
they will sprout much quicker than is cus-
tomary ; at this early period potatoes are found
in a state of advanced growth when the pits are opened;
and this has taken place much beyond what can be
ascribed to the peculiar mildness of the season. In fact,
the old tubers of last autumn began to grow in a few
weeks after they became ripe, or what seemed so; an
event unknown in previous potato culture. Why this is,
we know not; nor shall we embarrass ourselves with
inquiring whether it is owing to this or that chemical
peculiarity. It may be very true that the potatoes have
formed unstable casein instead of stable albumen; or
some other explanation may be more correct. For us,
it is enough to know that the vitality of the potato is
affected. The living principle is changed; of that no
doubt can exist; and such being the case, it is much to
be feared that the disease of last year will continue to
appear until, or except where, the original constitution
of the potato is recovered.
But we would not sound a note of alarm upon mere
speculations. We grieve to announce that we have now
before us evidence that confirms the view we have ven-
tured to take. Among the Bicton p )tatoes above alluded
to, was one which the most practised eye would, we
think, have pronounced sound ; its skin was clear, its
texture uniformly pale yellow, with no tendency to
change colour when exposed to the air, and its surface
had not a blemish, with the exception of a small very
narrow short streak on one side, which seemed to have
been the scratch of a fork. This potato pushed vigo-
rously ; its main stem is half an inch in diameter ; it
must have shown all the symptoms of the most robust
health ; and yet gangrene has attacked the haulm just
above the tuber, and the usual blotchings have appeared
upon the leaves. This potato plant is unequivocally
diseased.

We will suppose that some trace of disease could have
been found in this potato, by cutting it into thin slices,
though we have failed to discover them by that process.
Admitting this, yet it is perfectly clear that if healthy
potatoes can only be discovered by such a process, the
crop of next season is doomed wherever sets from
diseased fields are employed.

----- -
We therefore warn the country, in the most emphatic
language that words are capable of conveying., to think
well of what is coming—to plant no potatoes to which
suspicion attaches ; and, if sets from uninfected dis-
tricts cannot be procured, to crop their land with some-
thing else. There can now be no doubt, that in the ab-
sence of such precautions, there is no security for the
potato crop of 1846.
Since writing the above, we have received confirma-
tion of our worst fears. Mr. Etrington, gardener to
Sir Philip Egerton, at Oulton, in Cheshire, writes, that
in a garden near him " the early kidney potatoes in
frames are totally destroyed." He adds, that he " saw
the frames last week, and the stems have mortified from
the leaves downwards, exactly as they did in the open
fields last September."
g looking
Mr. James Cuthill, of Camberwell, informs us that
p weto about
sixtylants " amountin
re
Mr. Hale, a market-gardener at Ware, in llertford-
shire, has had his early p( tltoes attacked with last
year'swell disease
and
lights,
were
is
about
; that
gone
e;
iga
ht
that
aiinches
hise crop,theh s high, and all at once
they were attacked." Mr. Hall, florist, Stockwell,
saw these potatoes, and authorises Mr. Cuthill to say
so • the owner was dusting them with lime.
fre have received a sample of potatoes from Mr. Mill-
burn, of Thorpfield, near Thirsk, just taken out of the
pits, and "quite sound as far as he can judge," in which,
indeed, there is not the smallest outward sign of decay,
and yet we find every one marke l with the disease upon
cutting into them. We are also informed that the
forcer potatoes at Colonel Wyndham's, at Petworth,
have proved to be diseased, although great care was
taken in picking out what appeared to be sound sets. Of
this last case, however, we have no certain know:edge
as yet.

LAW INTELLIGENCE.
COURT OF CHANCERY, Feb. 24.

The Lord Chancellor sat in Lincoln's Inn llall to•day, and
took appeal motions, it beingithe second seal after Michael-
mas term. No case of any interest, except to the parties
concerned, came before his Lordship during the whole
morning.

VICE- CHANCELLOR'S COURT, Feb. 24.
(Before the VICE-CHANCELLOR of ENGLAND.)
This was the second seal, and the Court took motions.

COURT OF EXCHEQUER, Feb. 24.

(London Sittings at Nisi Prins, before
.die_LORD.C.IIIIIF BARON and

Common Juries.)
TRUELOCK V. MATTHEWS

This was an action brought to recover the sum of 5111. .55., being
money lent by plaintiff to defendant. The plaintiff is manager of the
business of Benjamin and Mark Boyd, stockbrokers, of 4, Bank-
buildings, and the defendant is Secretary to the London and Man-
chester Railway_Company.
The defendant pleaded that he was not indebted.
The jury, after a short deliberation, returned a verdict for plaintiff.
Mr. Jervis and Mr. Ogle appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr.
Crowder and Mr. Martin for the defendant.