The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-12-02 00:00:00

CORRhSPONDENCE.

" THE POTATO PANIC."

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

- - -
Slll.,—A great quantity of unmatured opinion, and de-
signed terrorem, has been put into circulation collate, re-
specting what may be called " the potato panic ;" and I
cannot help sending you a few reflections and opinions of
my own, respectiog the causes of the decline of our potato
stamina for some years past : these opinions are from ob-
servation, and conversation, during some years residence
in a potato district, and from reflection upon the whole
subject, vegetatively.
In the first place, farmers of the olden time generally
managed to have their potatoes planted by old May day ;
and never dreamt of getting them out of the ground than
the first week of November, at least those for winter
stocks ; and when so got, the wizles, or tops, were com-
pletely witbered away, and almost imperceptible on the
butt or ridge. Now-a-days, from the eagerness to turn
them into cash, they are dug out three or four weeks ear-
lier, whilst the tops are even green. This I consider to be
very bad farming, and one main cause of the present de-
terioration of the plant ; for, after bein, so early got, the
potato is, for seven or eight weeks sometimes, a vegetat-
ing plant, as witness an onion for a much longer period.
Formerly, potatoes meant for seed were left in the
ground as long as possible, than tear of frost came ; they
were then gathered and left spread on a room or barn
floor for weeks longer, that their vital and best principle
might set, inside. Now-a-days, they are not only dug
earlier, but hogged or holed at once; and, when cut for
seed, you may witness the folly of such sweating heaps,
by the long sprits, that are broken off when cutting; and
those sprits are a very material power in the potato pro.
duct, thus foolishly thrown aside, and lost for ever!
I think setting whole potatoes a little deeper than usual
a good plan, if persevered in, as the product is more nu-
merous and sound, and the nature of the potato does not
evaporate.
If you think these brief thoughts of mine worthy of in-
sertion, they are much at your service.
With respect to any failure in the present crop of pota-
toes, I think much is attributable to the very wet weather
we experienced in August, when the sun is usually hot
and powerful, and the potatoes, as the farmers around
Ormskirk have it, are " broording," that is, spreading
and setting.

I am, sir, your constant reader,
JOHN SUMNER.

Liverpool, Nov. 25. 1845

PROPOSED GRAND NEW THOROUGHFARE

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
SIR,-1 some time ago suggested, through your co-
lumns, that the Corporation should, if possible, repur-
chase the intended site of the new Branch Bank of Eng-
land, in Castle. street, and corner of Cook-street, and,
by other purchases. obtain from George's Pier a direct
line of street through George's Dock, by a quay or road-
way WITHOUT BRIDGES, up to the top of Brunswick-
street, and thence to the Railway station. Tt.e dock, as
I then stated, would thus form two docks, each of which
might be enlarged by taking in so much of the vacant land
between it and the Baths, at present almost wholly waste,
as could be spared, (the Baths, nearly useless and in the
way, being removed,) consistently with leaving sufficient
space for such improved landing-places, and a basin for
river steamers, as might be decided upon. I have since
found the opinion I had then formed daily confirmed, un-
til it appears to me, that such a main thoroughfare has
become not only advisable but necessary. The only and
main arteries of the town leading to the " bridge of boats"
that cross the Mersey are Dale-street and Lord-street,
and their adjuncts, and such is the crowded and fre-
quently dangerous state of both, from the increase of the
population, and of vehicles of all kinds, that it appears to
me to be high time that something should be done for the
safety and convenience of the public. It is more than
probable that a good wide street between them, such as
that proposed would, without injury to existing interests
in either of these thoroughfares, prove to be a wise and
paying speculation—if speculation it can be called. The
new line of street would redeem much property of secon-
dary value in Temple court, and about Williatnson-
square, as the whole might be thrown across Whitechapel,
so that from the top of Brunswick-street to the railway
station the line would form a gentle inclined plane—ap-
proaching, indeed, to a level. It would moreover ventilate
one of the lowest and most densely peopled parts of the
town ; and it would afford at all times, (wtt hunt delay
from bridges thrown back) a ready passage between the
pier and the heart of the town. My object in again ad-
verting to the subject is to induce the authorities to give
it their calm and prompt attention, but (as in other cases
of town improvements in which a want of foresight has
been evinced,) the alteration may hereafter be forced upon
them, when the cost of purchasing the requisite land and
buildings will have greatly increased.
I am, Sir, &c., W.

THE CORN QUESTION

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD,

- - -
SlR.—The banner of clamour hag been again raised by
the whig-radical clique. The excitement that could be
brought into action for party purposes by the " potato
disease", has been considered too good a handle to be left
unmoved; ant; we see the whole party, from Lord John
down to John Crook, in full activi'y for the nation's good.
There are, however, some points in his lordship's letter,
which, although sounding beautifully to the ear, are rather
incomprehensible to the sense ; for how is it that his lord-
ship cutteithab coult.etue Lu be " blighted'', when all
practical men know full well that at this. and at every
other port in the kingdom, commerce has advanced with
gigantic strides, and deserves the very reverse of the re-
presentation his lordship has been pleased to give to it.
The corn-law also has been the " bane "of agriculture
itself, in his lordship's opinion; although, strange to say,
the agriculturists, who ought to be good judges of their
own interests, cling to the idea that they could not live
without the present amount of pro►ection, and that, in
fact, they are entitled, from the share they sustain of the
national burthens, to something more. His lordship also
holds that they are the cause of penury amongst the peo-
ple—quite forgetting that he is only thinking of a class,
and that the cultivators of the poorer soils of this king-
dom will be indeed driven to penury if they are left with-
out the slightest protection from the foreigner, who sus-
tains no portion whatever of the weight of our public
debt, costly maintenance of poor, &c.
Surely, Englishmen should have some sympathy for
their agricultural brethren, and not sacrifice them entirely
because it is the manufacturers interest to have returns in
the shape of corn and flour ; and the little reliance that
can be placed in the representations of the party, is• very
transparent now that it is known, that, notwithstanding
their loud assertions, scarcely any corn has gone out of
the kingdom, whilst immense quantities are pouring into
it—and will so the more whilst the ports are partially
shut, for the opening them will be a signal to the foreign
holders immediately to raise their prices.
1 cannot conclude these brief remarks without advert-
ing to the allegation that Mr. Blackburn thought fit to
make at the late meeting at the amphitheatre. that a mere
handful of oligarchs are interested in the maintenance of
the corn-law—tor if that worthy will take the trouble of
referring to lir Culloch he will see that the greatest suf-
ferers by the repeal will be the numerous class of small
proprietors, and those dependent on them.
ANTI-QUACK.