The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1845-11-15
The Farmer.
From the ~ +. Farmer.
AUsE OF, AND REMEDY FOR, THE POTATO
ROT.


ROT
We have thought proper TO copy from the London
"a G,rIener's Chronicle, of Sept. 18th 1915, the report
a,bc examination of Professor Charles Morren. Of
AZ Du,sels, into the and remedy for that dread
3 d. ,courge, the potato rot. We have done this be-
.ue the high estimation in which his tnents are held
" 4 Europe, a vegetable Psychologist, places him a.
rong the frs; authorities on the subject ;und because
N gentleman Of his scientific character and attain
Svai, would be very cautious in sending forth to the
world any opinion at all on such an important sub
qsl that had not been examined with the most scru-
bilious care, and with the light afforded by the i'm
N vowed state Of science; and, lastly, because the
N qssc assigned, and remedies prescribed by Prof
"A aoucn very nearly indeed, coincide with, those sug-
"A ,led by our esteemed scientific friend, ]. F. Tes-
A che,nacner Esq which we're first published in
A the New England Farmer The following is the ex-
Il tract
al lcarrby letters from several friends that the
disease which now affects the potato crops in the
Channel Islands, and in several parts of England, is
universal ia Belgium, and almost all through France;
and as Professor Morren, Of the University of Lege
has described the malady, and the remedy to be inn
nedately applied, have seized the FIRST moment of
4isure to translate part of letter which he has 10
serted in the independence Of Brussels, for the benefit
Nthose whom it may concern.
"lhe real Of the disease is mildeW fungus,
which scientific class under the head BoLrytiS;
bot which farmers will easily distinguish, and will
nlne spot, scorch, or burn. Some will attribute
/ 10 humidity; others to dry winds to insects, &c
Nevertheless il is of consequence to know the real
cause Of this phenomena, for the knowledge of it will
put the farmer the road TO diminish destroy, if
is possible, the evil.
"'The Professor has, for several days. followed the
gOgress Of the disease in several potato fields, and
has to the following results The maady de-
dedly commences by the upper part Of the leaves i'm
several instances he has the flowers and seed
vessels ms attacked. part Of the green tissue los
its color aud becomes yellow: the spots soon after
become grey, and is always the under part of
the leaf, the seed vessels, that the next day,o
Two days after the leaf has turned yellow, that you
perceive the formation Of tohite do,cn. The micro
scope shows that this down is formed by a fungus,
which fruc,ies between the numerous hairs garnsh-
ing the under parts of the potato leaf This fungus
extremely thin; but fuctifes immensely, and
produces itself by millions The Professor ,after hav-
ing given minute detail of the size, SC. concludes
his part of his letter by saying: "Farmers will tell
me that this is n very small body to such i'm
mense ravages but will that the itch is not
maOdy less to be feared because the which
canseS it, is a microscopic object. 1t is after tho
caves have turned yellow, and the borytis has made
s appearance, that the stem is affected. Here and
there the epidemic turns brown and black, and when
you follow with the OF the microscopes, the in(ec
On you perceive that it is by the skin that the
stem is attacked The morbid agent carries its action
frntn ho 4, ~, ,hn "a do
not perceive fungus this last part it is the less
struck with DEATH For those who have few no.
tons orvegetabe physiology, these effects are ex
planned. The sap modified in living juice, in vegeta-
bic blood, forms itself in the leaf, and descends
through the skin in the stem and roots. There the
sap being sicky, deadly, carries the poison from the
Zeal into the stem, and kills it. The fact is, that
soon as the black spots seen on the stem, the
ieaVes dry and die and struck with death by poison
Gus mushroom, they fall unfortunately to deposte in
'ne ground the germs ofthe poison. The infection
soon descends into the potato and if the maady fol-
lows tts natural course, is soon affected with the
S'ngrene; it turns brown or yellow, sometimes gray
and dark is spoiled and that the smell is dis
'sreeable, that the animals refuse TO eat them.
"lhe disease being now known, the attention Of
eN''u'sts ouSnt 10 DC turned 10 ulnlInlSn as mucn
possible the evil because is we'll known that all
a'eases which affect the crops Sc, intro
uuced into the country, remain and propagate more
anu more. This year the epidemic seems to be uni
Ser'aI' the germ is everywhere; and if remedy is
not Immediately applied, the crops will be affected
next year. and then it will become more difficult to
eS'Hpate the evil.
w. When the potato .halum is infected with the
u'sease, NOW it down. and Immediately burn it. 2
Act in the same way in potato fields that have
escaped the infection for though they may appear
10 The eye, yet they may not have escaped the dis
ease B. The potato diseased ought also to be burn
co. a. The seed for next yeur ought to be stepped
WIN lime, sulphate of copper, or common salt, dilu-
'eu IN water, in order to kill the fungus, if any, on
"e potato g. The potato fields Of next year, ought
" DC as Tar as possible from those Of this year. 6.
mixture Of lime, common sal, and suphate of cop
pI'' should be s;rewn on the potato fields infected
WIS mixture having the power of destroying the poi
W" 'e'i in the ground by the infected plants
Richard Gifard, 81. Peters Jersey