The Sun.
London, England, 1845-10-21 00:00:00

THE POTATO DISEASE.

DUBLIN, (km. 18.—The accounts received yesterday were
extremely afflicting, showing that the disease in the potato
crop had extended to several counties—for instance, Galway
and Tipperary—where, up to this time, !t was not known.
There is now scarcely a county in Ireland free from the dis-
ease. According to the accounts the crop has been almost
entirely destroyed in some instances, but more generally the
injury is partial, extending to a third or a fifth of the crop.
In some districts fields seem to have escaped the pestilence,
whore all around has been affected. Taken altogether, at
least a fifth of the potato crop must have been destroyed,
and there are well-grounded apprehensions of a further ex-
tension of the rot.
The Irish Government obtained, during the last week, re-
turns of the state of the potato crop in every part of Ireland,
and those r, turns, on the whole, were considered to be much
less unfavourable than might have been apprehended ; but
in the meantime the disease has been spreading widely, and
fresh returns, if now obtained, would give a very different
result.
The following official letter has been received by the
Mayor of Cork from the Lord Lieutenant :
" Dublin Castle, 13th Oetober,lB4s.

" Sir,—l have it in command from the Lord Lieutenant to
ackrowledge the receipt of your letter of the 10th, and to
acqunint you that the attention of the Government has been
for sometime directed to the state of the potato crop in this
country, and his Excellency has already caused the fullest
inquiry to be made in every district in Ireland, respecting
the disease which is unfortunately found to exist in the
potato.
" His Excellency trusts that the crop may be but partially
affected. and has directed that the inquiries be continued,
and further information fnmished, from time to time, to the
Government, both as to the present state and probable pros-
pect of this crop.—l have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient
servant, RICHARD PENNEFATHER,
•"lo the Mayor of Cork."

The Mercantile Advertiser of yesterday says—" We under-
stand that great quantities of potatos have been shipped
from Dublin and various other ports for the continent, and
that still larger orders have been just received. Under such
circumstances, it is, we think, the duty of the Ministry to
issue an order in council, prohibiting the exportation of
potatos, and also opening the ports for the admission of corn
and other provisions free of duty."
Com, 16.—The intelligence respecting the murrain in
the potato crop, which has reached us since our last publica-
tion, presents no features calculated to allay the apprehen-
sion of scarcity which its first appearance amongst us natu-
rally awoke. It is but too apparent that the malady spreads
throughout the country, and that districts hitherto unvisited
are now, or soon will be found, affected.
We have before us a tabular account of the result of an ex-
amination instituted by Mr. G. Barry, of Ballahina, into the
condition of the crop in his neighbourhood, and by Mr. Wm.
O'Connell in another. Out of ten lots, comprising various
descriptions of potato, the proportions were 153 sound roots,
47 unsound. Out of eight lots, taken by Dr. Barry
ft om the land between Rathcormac and Castlelyons, there
were 53 sound roots, and 27 diseased, the species of potato
being of the white description. The result of the third ex-
amination, which was made by Mr. Wm. O'Connell into the
state of the crop between Lisnegar and the Mountain, was
still more alarming, for of ten lots, 185 roots were bad, and 98
only sound. Again, of thirty samples from the vicinity of
Watergasshill, Castlelyons, and Fermov, 313 potatoes were fit
for use, and 153 unsound. Such is the deplorable summary
of an investigation wisely and properly instituted.
At the meeting of the Fermoy Board of Poor-law Guar-
dians, on Wednesday, the Earl of Mountcashel and other
landed proprietors attended: Several landowners and land-
stewards gave in reports of the decrease in the potato crop,
showing that the injury varied from two-thirds to one-third
of the entire, and that great alarm prevailed throughout
the country. Several gentlemen suggested modes of saving
the sound portions of the potato by kiln-drying and other
means.

Lord MouxrcAsHEL moved that an address be forthwith
prepared and forwarded to the Lord-Lieutenant relative to
the threatened famine, and bringing before his notice the
great exportation of potatos going on.
Ctptain Comm seconded the motion.
A Committee was then appointed, by whom a memorial
was drawn up, which was adopted by the Board. The me-
morialists suggest to his Excellency " whether some inter-
ference as to the laws affecting the import and export of corn
may not be desirable in the present emergency, and whether
the consumption of corn in distillation may not require some
check at present."
At the Middleton Board of Guardians proceedings of a
somewhat similar kind took place.
This day there are some additional accounts from the
country. lam glad to say one or two Ulster letters men-
tioned that the disease had not farther extended; and the
provincial j urnals, in the localities referred to, publish state
merits to tne stme effect. •
_ _

The Neury Telegraph states that " advices from several
parts of the country lead to the expectation that the unfor-
tunate p )tato disease is, in some measure, arrested, the com-
plaints being far less general ; and some situations where,
a week ago, the number of apparently diseased tubers was
fearfully great, exhibit now very trilling symptoms of its
presence."

- The Banner of (lister, whilst describing the injury done
as very considerable, says--" In some places it is found that
a much smaller portion of the crop is injured than had been
supposed ; in the worst, we are told there will be one-half an
average of edible roots."

The Tyrone Constitution says—" While it must be ad-
mitted that the disease is among us, we have the pleasure
of saying that, as yet, the injury sustained in this neighbour-
hood is very trifling, compared with other districts."
These are the only favourable reports: all others are most
di enuraolnf••-,
•
110YA1 AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY OF IRELAND.—At the
meeting of the Royal Agricultural Society of Ireland, on
Thursday,
M:. BULLEN, the Secretary, stated that he had received
upwards of forty answers from the secretaries of local farming
societies, in reply to a circular letter which he had addressed
to them by ordt2r of the council, to procure information re-
spectinp the failure of the potato crop in their different
localities. These reports contained much useful and most
accurate information on the subject, and would form, when
compiled and digested, the best statistical data as yet pro-
duced upon this all-absorbing question. It appeared by the
reports, as far as they had gone, that the disease was not
known or visible in many of the localities up to the time of
calling for the returns, and the local secretaries had reported
accordingly. But in many cases he had received supple-
mental reports, stating that, on digging the crops, they bad
found the disease existing in many places where it had not
p. evi‘t ily appeared; and that, in fact, it was almost im-
po.sible to ascertain the true extent of the mischief until the
removal of the crop had proceeded farther. The Council
were of opinion that they should proceed most cautiously in
this businesA' and for this purpose a sub-committee was
formed, to sit from day to day, to examine the returns, and
to prepare such suggestions for a special meeting of the
council, to be summoned for Saturday, the 18th instant, as
they may deem advisable. It was evident that the evil had
reached a most alarming height. The Council then adjourned
until Saturday, at two o'clock.
The Dublin Evening Post says :
" The Agricultural Society have adopted a most judicious
course. But, meantime, whilst inquiries are in progress as
t o the extent of the evil, there should be corresponding mea-
sures of relief. We would earnestly suggest a meeting of
the citizens of Dublin, as the first step. The corporation
ought, we think, to be specially summoned upon a subject of
such vital importance."