Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-04-30
Department.
From the Nco England Fdrmer
Potato Planting this Spring.

portance since DR.. Lndley, the editor Of the Lon
don Gardeners Chronicle, in the latest number re-
ceiyed by the last steamer, boldly, we think rather
unphilosophicay, advises the farmers Of England
not to plant any more potatoes founding his adj
vice on the fact that all the potatoes forced for
early consumption in England "a practice by the
way which is there carried TO an enormous extent)
had already got the disease and we're worthless
thus showing that had not, as many expected, ex-
hausied itself, but would in all probability prevail
this year with the same yirulence as last
On reference to paper of January y, page
2l3 there will be found an extract Of letter from
a valued correspondent in New Hampshire, stating
that in Is45 he planted the sound pieces cut from
diseased potatoes and applied, according 10 the adj
vice of Mr. Teschmacher, at the first hoelng, large
lade full Of mixture Of equal parts of salt lime
and ashes to each HILL and that he had not 20 dis
eased potatoes in his whole crop that most, but
not all of his neighbors suffered very severely from
the disease.
We will now lay before our readers par, of an
other communication from respectable agriculture
list in West Roxbury, containing letter to a
friend
WEsT RoxBURY, March 49, 1916.
"NIy potatoes Garter Variety were last year plant
ed on the Oath ofApril, on piece of ground meas:
uring little more than an acre, naturally wet and
springy, but which had thoroughly drained the
year previous good soil but very full OF small
stones. The manure was taken from the barn yard
long and unrotten, and was dropped by the fork in
the burrows The sets were taken from good sized
potatoes cut in halves, and after being rolled in
ground plaster we're dropped upon the manure, two
in each hill and the hills were made three lect a
part each way. sharp frost the night Of the
oath of Nav cut the tops all down. On the 9th of
June, at the first hoeing applied a very large table
spoonful of Glauber Salts (Sulphate Of soda) and
air Stacked lime, mixed in equal parts,to each plant
and this was Immediately covered with the hoe.
"The season will be long remembered as very
dry one, and obtained only ninety eight bushels
from the piece But although the quantity was
small the quality was remarkably good, as you may
satisfy yourself from the sample | send you. They
were kept shaded from the sun as much as possible
while being dug, and have been kept in a bin in
my vegetable cellar, on, of the way of the Frost
The rot has been prevalent in my neighborhood,
and of the crop raised in the next field (ong reds
| belieye) large proportion has been lost. As it
was owing to your suggestion that first used the
salt &c, should have given you the result before,
but thought it most prudent not 10 phistle i'll
out of the goods"
The latter part Of this communication seems to
rebut the opinion that atmospheric influence occa.
sions the disease, no fence between two fields
could possibly prevent the exertion of this influence
on two adjoining crops; according to evidence
can the Carter variety claim absolute exemption
from the disease. Il seems to us that the general
character OF the potato has deierioraed, and that
the sets will therefore offer more favorable circum-
stance for the disease than before. 1t also seems
to us that on the fungus theory the spores must be
more generally disseminated than last year, and
probably exist in almost every soil and dung heap
and this opinion is strengthened by the facts rect.
ed by DR.. Lndley. The general mass of evidence
we have seen seems TO point with much force TO
the probability that lime and saline mixtures, will,
according to the opinions emitted by Mr.. Tesche-
macher prove remedial. We therefore ask our
farmers not to lose courage, but to try carefully
such as have been offered, and in so doing not to
try too many things together, and all at once--so
that whether the experiments succeed or fail they
may know to what TO attribute the result Should
all fail this year it will be time enough then to talk
Of giving up the cultivation of the potato We
scarcely doubt, however, that these experiments
will result in the discovery Of certain remedies for
this dire and disgusting disease.
Since wiring the above we have received the
following interesting communication, which fully
confirms the theory advanced. The respectable
source from which 1t emanates gives it additional
importance -
Mr. BREcK.--In the last volume of the ~ Eng
land Farmer, Nos. l6 and 20, you gave commun.
cations from Mr. Teschemacher, on The Disease
in Potatoes which seemed to me more rational and
worthy Of consideration than any other, among the
numerous articles saw in relation to that subject
After careful and repeated examination Of dis
eased potatoes, Mr. Teschemacher became fully
convinced that the rot was occasloned by minute
species of fungus, and suggested salt appro-
pirate remedy in the case.
had two or three acres planted with potatoes in
1874, and in common with most others in this vi
cnity, suffered loss of large portion of the crop
The ground had been in moving for perhaps fifty
years. with the exception Of single corn crop
few years previous and the old sward, with
dressing of manure and favorable up to
the time OF the appearance of the blight, brought
forward growth ofpotato tops as heavy and vigor-
GUS as any one could reasonably wish, and gave
promise of a most abundant harvest In August,
the change commenced, and in few days hardly a
green leaf was TO be seen in the fields. The pre-
mature death Of the tops prevented the further
growth OF the potatoes and of those which were
grown, a large portion roted in the ground so
that not more than fourth part of the anticipated
crop Of good potatoes, was ultimately obtained
The diseased potatoes and tops were left on the
ground and as the crop carried from the field was
considered too small to essentially impair the abili-
~ Of the soil to produce another crop, it was (aer
reading Mr. Teschemacher's communications above
referred toy thought expedient in this case-con-
uary to good practice in ordinary cases-to follow
with the same crop the following year for if the
cause of the mischief, whatever it might be, had
done its work aud lived out its day, that ground
might be expected TO give as fair crop as any 9th
er and, moreover, should the force Of the evil be
vastly increased by the presence of the diseased
potatoes and decayed tops leil on the ground, las
was prevalent opinion in some paces,) it would
afford most satisfactory opportunity of testing the
soundness of Mr. Teschemacher's views and, fur
thermore removal to another field offered no rea-
sonable hope oil escaping the effects of disease,
whose cause IS, as yet, SO mysterious, and, which
ia SO