The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-10-28 00:00:00

TIIE POTATOE CROP

We had until a few days ago encouraged a hope that the
rumours of extensive disease in the potatoe crop were eon-
siderably exaggerated, and that, at ail events, it had
scarcely been perceptible in our own immediate vicinity.
We regret, however, to say, that the epidemic has reached
most promising fields in this district, and that taking the
whole general crop of the article throughout the country,
the defalcation will be great, if not calamitous, inasmuch
as it is not yet ascertained whether the mass of the pota-
toes already gathered, in apparently a healthy state, can
b • preserved for any great length of time—such is the in-
sidious and occult nature of the disease, or " rot." We
have seen the practical gentleman to whom we have been
often indebted for valuable information on agricultural
affairs, and he is of opinion that the disease is the old one,
which has been creeping on more or less partially for the
lart ten years, but now become more virulent and exten-
sive. lie attributes its increase to the extremely unfa-
vourable nature of the season generally—continued wet
and want of sun—for the plant is a native of Peru
and some other parts of the South American continent, in
which the summer weather is for the most part warm and
dry. Another cause (in our own opinion) probably is, the
planting of potatoes from sets or cuttings, in place of from
whole potatoes. The former plan may apptar economical,
but it is not natural, and puts the cut portions of the
tuber to so great a strain to nourish the shoot in its in-
fancy, that the germinating principle, in all likelihood,
dies out, and a feeble and unwholesome progeny is the re-
sult, more liable of course to be affected by weather un-
favourable for the plant. Planting the whole potatoe, and
giving plenty of room, is found to be better policy, and
more sure. Kidneys will not stand culling, and for the
last twelve years have been set whole with advantage.
New seed, either indigenous, or from the potatoe plum of
this country, would probably improve the whole crops ;
and the dying out of particular and favourite kinds in
Europe, after some years profitable cultivation, justifies
this supposition.
Some of the crops in this neighbourhood (as elsewhere)
when raised have appeared to be quite good and sound.
But our friend and others have found that when hogged
for ten or fourteen days, and looked at, many of them
were found rotted in the pits. In ono or two instances,
where the best looking tubers were selected, and stored for
seed, they continued to look well for some time, yet the
whole of ahem were in like manner found to have after-
wards died and rotted.
The price of potatoes in our markets is, notwithstand-
ing, low—say ls. 10d. to 2s. per 901 b. This.
to be accounted for. The farmers already Mid, or dread,
that they will not keep, and consequently hurry them to
mat ket, and get rid of them as they can, ather titan run
the risk of a total loss by the rot. We have heard it
confidently stated, that ii a guarantee could be given that
they would keep good until March next, a much higher
(perhaps double) price would be paid by speculators.
. We find by the Lancaster and Preston papers, that the
ravages of the disease have been greater than was appre-