The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-15 00:00:00

THE POTA 7 OE EPIDEMIC.

We are afraid (says the Manchester Guardian)
that as regards a very large tract in potatoe cul-
ture in this part of the kingdom the disease this
year will be found to be as fatal in its ravages as
in almost any year. Indeed many of the growers
compare the state of their potatoes at the present
moment with what they remember of the year
1846, and pronounce them as bad, if not worse,
than in that year. From an intelligent culti-
vator, who has personally examined the crops and in-
quired of the largest growers in the tract of North
Cheshire, extending from Sale and its vicinity over
the townships of Ashton-on-Mersey, Carrington,
Part inton, Warburton, and Lymtn, we derive the
following facts :—The statement of a considerable
tamer at Lymm is that those potatoes which he has
got up arc rotting fast, and those growing emit
that peculiar bad smell, especially at night, which
is characteristic of the disease. One of the
largest farmers in the neighbourhood of War-
burton states that his potatoes are now in a
worse condition than he has ever known
them since the great year of the disease (1846), and
his anticipations are that before the winter is over,
from the general failure of the crop potatoes will be
a guinea a load. At Parting,teu, a considerable
grower says he never saw potatoes in a worse condi-
tion. even in " the bad year" (1846). The two kinds
which have up to this time proved the best and
soundest are the flukes and Pollitt's seedlings ; but
even of these on the average about one•third
is bad. At Carrington one farmer states thet
fully half his potatoes are rotten. Of the kinds
named, Lady Greys and radicals, he does not ex-
pect to save many. Ile corroborates what has been
already stated as to the better condition of flukes
and Pollitt's seedlings, and the proportion in which
they are diseased. Another farmer in that neigh-
liourhood says that his Lady Greys, radicals, and
pink eyes, are more than half diseased ; his flukes
Pollitt's seedlings are bad in a much smaller
proportion. A third farmer in Carrington, on Fri-
day last, opened the pots in which he had stored,
just a fortnight previously, 14 or 15 loads of pota-
toes for winter use, and to his mortification he could
only find three loads of sound potatoes in the whole.
A fourth farmer in this township, on Thursday last,
sent a man to dig up some seed potatoes ; and after
digging all day the man could only get as many
sound ones as lie could put in a sack and carry home
on his back. Another considerable grower on Sa-
turday last opened a pot in which 50 or 60 loads of
pink eyes hadbeen stored a fortnight before for seed
next year, and only 21 or 22 loads proved sound,
the rest had gone into a brown rot, a more advanced
stage of which is that the tuber is covered with
raised white pocks, and then putrefaction ensues.
In Ashton-on-Mersey last week a farmer dug uia a
field of potatoes of the sort called Protestants, and
found more than half of thew diseased. llis flukes
were better, probably not more than one-third being
diseased. In one field at Sale, of a crop of radicals,
fully one-half were gone. It will be seen by this
evidence, collected on the spot, that the present
potato crop is affected with the disease to a very
large extent over the surface of' country indicated;
that the sorts which have suffered most from the
ravages of the epidemic are Lady Greys, pink eyes,
radicals, or white radicals, snowballs (which though
not'mentioned above, suffer in the proportion of
about one-half), and Protestants. Hitherto flukes
and Pollitt's seedlings have escaped with less injury;
but as these are later sorts, fears' are entertained
that as winter advances they too will suffer in
larger proportion.

---- -
GEOLOGY OF NEW ZEALAND.—The Government
of New Zealand have caused to be printed in their Ga
the lecture on the geology of the province of Auckland,zette
by
Dr. llochstetter, geologist, on board the Austrian frigate
Novara, and member of the scientific expedition of that
vessel.

T 1 OYAL ENULTSII. OPERA,
JL COVENT-GARDEN.
Under the mann,ement of 3liss L. Fyne and Mr.W. Harrison.
THIS EVENING, DINO 11 A 11. Messrs. Santley,
H.
Corn, St. Albyn, and W. Harrison. Misses Pilling, Thirl-
wall, and Miss Louisa Fyne.
Conductor, Alfred Mellon.
DIVERTISSEMENT. Males. Lavine, Pasquale, Pier-
ron, and Mons. Vandris.
Commence at 8 o'clock.
•

THE A T -R 0 Y AL, HAYMARKET.
Lessee, Mr. J. B. Buckstone.
if Frig EVENING the performances will commence with
A. 1,1 UNEQUAL MA'rcir. Miss Amy Sedg-wiek.
After which, n new Farce, entitled THE RIFLE, AND
HOW TO USE IT. Messrs. Bad:stone, Compton, ROgCrS,
Mrs. B. White, ltlr3. Wilkins, and Mrs. E. Fitzwilliam.
And ILALLOWE'EN.
Commence at 7.

RO YA L PR INCE S S'S TIIEA'FRE.—
Lessee, Mr. A. Harris.
THIS EVENING. the performances will commence with
LOVE'S TELEGRATIL
To be followed by a dramtic tableau in Watteau
FORTUNE.
lours,
by J. It. Planche, Esq., entitaled LOVE AND FORTU
To conclude with TIC TWO POLTS.

W TIIEATRE - ROYAL, AD
sterELPHI.
NESole proprietor and Manager, Mr. Benj. Web.
Open for the Winter Season.
THIS EVENING will be performed ICI ON PABLE
FRANCAIS. Messrs. J. L. Toole, Chas Selby, and Miss
Kelly.
After which, THE WILLOW COPSE. Luke, Mr. Ben.
Webster; Hulks, Mr. David Fisher ; Augustus, Mr. J. L.
Toole ; Staggers, Mr. Paul Bedford.
Followed by LOVE AND HUNGER. Mr. David Fisher,
Mr. Paul Bedford, C. Selby, C. J. Smith, Miss K. Kelly, Miss
Laidlaw.
Doors open at half-past six—Commence at seven. Box-
Office open from 10 to 5. No charge for securing seats,
nor for hills of perforinance. All fees to servants of this
establishment arc strictly prohibited.
Acting Manager—Mr. Wm. Smith.

ROYAL ST. JAMES'S THEATRE,
King-strect, St. James's. Lessee, Mr. T. B. Chatter-
ton. The nearest Theatre to Chelsea, Pimlico, and West-
minster, the Park being open to carriages and foot passen-
gers all hours of the night.
THIS EVENING, THE WIDOW'S WEDDING.
After which the successful Ballet Farce, by John Oxen-
ord, Esq., entitled MAGIC TOYS, supported by Miss Lydia
Thompson, Miss Clara St. Casse, and a numerous Corps de
Ballet.
To conclude with the New and Original Burlesque, by L.
Buckingham, Esq., of VIRGINIUS ; or the Trials of a Fond
Papa, in which 3ftsars. C. Young, Barrett, A. Denial, Francis;
Mesdames Frank Matthews, Clara St. Casse. Eliza "A rden,
C. Eanoe, Lydia Thompson, and a numerous Corps de Ballet
will appear.
Reduced Prices—Gallery, 6d ; Pit, Is. The Box-office open
from 11 to 5 daily. Doors open at half-past six ; perform-
ance commences at 7.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE,
Lessee and Directress, Miss Swanhorongh
THIS EVENING, THE GOOSE WITH' THE GOLDEN
EGGS.
After which TIIE GREAT RUSSIAN BEAR; or, An-
other Retreat from Moscow.
And CAUGHT BY THE EARS.
Followed by THE VERY LATEST EDITION OF THE
LADY OF LYONS.
Commence at 7 o'clock,

CANTERBURY HALL CONCERTS.-
EVERY EVENING.—The Music of Verdi's Opera of
MACBETH (now first made public in England at these Con-
lefts), the extraorainafy Violin Performances of the
I. rated rated Infant DELEI'IERRE FAMILY, and the usual
focal Conce. t.
Comic Vocalists -Messrs. George Ffolson (the Irish Come-
dian and Mimic), W. T. Critchfielel, and E. W. Melekney.
Several interesting Pictures are added to the Fine Arts
Gallery. The suite of Halls have been re-decorated and
beautified, and constitute one of the most unique and brilliant
sights of the metropolis.
Will shortly be produced, a Grand Selection from Meyer-
beers new opera of DINORAH.

THE WEATIIER.—Surt OFFICE, OCTOBER 15.
THERMOMETER, IN THB SHADE.
63—highest since noon yesterday.
54—lowest this morning and during the night.
60—this day at noon.

BauommTEn-29.58.
WIND, Easterly; light, with dull hazy weather.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
This DAY.—)corning, 3h. 29m.—Afternoon, 3h. 46m.
To-Monatow-Morning, 4h. 4m.—Afternoon, 4h. 23m.

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TII E SUN.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1859.

---41.--

This afternoon the majority of her MAJESTY'S
Ministers have assembled at the PREMIER'S official
residence in Downing-street, in obedience to the
official summons distributed among the Sixteen.
Certainly they hale enough to talk about among
themselves there in solemn conclave—if they only
will for once be in earnest about their work—if
they only will but throw aside at last, for the
briefest interval, the customary air of dilletanteism
and pococuranteism characteristic of our English
Administrators.

There is one reflection that actually encourages us
to be sanguine for once upon this point, a reflection
that cannot possibly fail to force itself upon the
collective judgment of the Cabinet. And this, obvi-
ously—the strength and energy confronting them
in the organised phalanx of the Opposition.
Before the prorogation of Parliament at the close of
last session, that Opposition was formidable
enough. Shortly before that prorogation—upon
the grandest field-night recorded in HANSARD,
upon the occasion that is to say of the largest divi-
sion we believe ever counted out into the lobbies—
the clear majority obtained against the Derbyites
by a combination the most heterogenous well
imaginable, was no more than that ominous nun.
ber of Thirteen thus fatally echoed back to Lord
DERBY and his colleagues as the numerical
symbol of their own Administration. Thirteen was
the sum total of the advantage gained over the
Conservative party by an union, for onca, of all the
long scattered forces of their miscellaneous an-
tagonists—Radicals, Whigs, Peelites, and so-called
Independents. Thirteen, even, then, however, only
for the morrow, so to speak, of that memorable
night's victory. For—under the glare of the
bull's' eye of Election Committee after Election
Committee, the minute Majority rapidly dwindled
down pretty nearly to no majority at all—almost
to a minority. Twelve of the thirteen faded out
altogether.- And by the close of the session the
solitary survivor—actually but ONE—like the last
rose of summer, was left blooming alone ! Parlia-
ment dispersed in August with a perfect knowledge
of that fact. It will re-assemble in February still
with parties almost in a state of equilibrium there
in that lower branch of the Legislature. Ministers
will do well, therefore, if they prepare themselves
at once for the coming struggle—remembering
that, as they showed no mercy whatever to their.
opponents, so the latter will assuredly
show no mercy to them -whenever they discover a
fitting opportunity to retaliate. The Coalition,
moreover, has all the more reason to prepare be-
times against the chances of discomfiture, the recess
having multiplied around them all kinds of diffi-
culties, home and foreign, fiscal and financial,
diplomatic and administrative.

Simultaneously with the social disturbances re-
sulting near at home amongst ourselves in one
direction from the Strike, and in another, from the
Revivals—how many anxieties have sprung into
existence recently, north, south, east, west, in
either hemisphere ? The question is easier asked
than answered. The difficulties in all directions
are so many and so various, that they arc not very
readily in truth to be enumerated. The chief
among them were happily indicated a week or
so back by that wicked satirist the artist
whose pencil of caustic drew in Punch the cartoon
depicting " BLONDIN Outdone"—the Premier
trundling the Foreign Secretary along that rope
of sand, the Palmerstonian Policy, over an abyss
in its way as formidable (as the scene of such
perilous exploits) as the Falls of Niagara—an
b
abyss rendered appalling by the descent together,
en masse, of the Chinese Difficulty, the Reform
Difficulty, the American Difficulty, the Indian
Difficulty, and so forth, in deafening, blinding,
bewildering perspective ! Yet all those difficulties
must be met somehow by Lord P.IL3IERSTON arid
Lord JOHN and their fourteen colleagues of the