Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-03-19
gGGe 6d3ette.
FROM THE ALBANY cULTIyAToR.
TIRE POTATOE DISEASE.

l.. Tucker, Esq---Facts beng the very foum-
dation of science, ii has struck me that the fol
lowing nightassist some inquirer INTO the eau
ses Of the potatoe disease.
In 1913, the disease among the patatoes show
cd fseif m This country. That year, IN many
parts Of the country, the potatoes roited In
their bins, and il was found necessary TO re
move them. In lS44 the disease was more
prevalent, while in l845 il was much less ex-
tensiye. In my own case, very little ofihe dis
ease appeared among the potatoes raised, in Ell
tber year. Still, there was little OF IT, among
the pink eyes, particular Having observed
that potatoe-balls were very scarce IN my own
fields, and indeed in all this region, and being
confident that the potatoes now ra5sed in this
country are much inferior to those raised five
and thirty years since, sent to England for
seed. A friend was kind enough TO obtain for
me twenty four hampers Of fine Lancashire
potatoes, last spring, which reached me Just in
Time for planting. | had them placed in new
ground on the side of a field IN which were
planted pink eyes, trout and orange potatoes
The yield Of all the potatoes was light, on ac-
count of the drouth, but the Lancashire did as
well as could be expected. -Four and twenty
bushels of English potatoes were put away,
for seed, in celler under a hay NOW, where
the temperature is hardly above freezing; as
good place for the preservation of vegetables
as 0a,ld be selected. A quantity of the trout
and orange potatoes were put in another cor
ner of the same cellar Fearful that the wea-
ther was getting toe severe for my seed pota-
toes, as the NOW grew thinner, | ordered them
to be removed last week, to another cellar. On
opening the straw that covered the heap, more
Than half Of the potatoes were found to be gone,
with the disease. As the rot has appeared in
none OF the other sorts that were grown in the
same field, including pink-eyes, ! am left to
infer that the English potatoes wefe infected,
while the others were not.
merely state the fact. The disease exist
ing so extensively last year in England, may
possibly have some connection with this loss ;
though TO connect the circumstances it is ne
cessary to believe that two seasons are requi-
red to develop the rot.
| will only add, that had brought into my
house some of the varieties that were grown.
the English excepted, and cannot find that a
single potatoe has been affected. know of no
difference in the culture or land, that should
have produced this result. No manure was
carted on any part of the field, though plaster
was used throughout. As piles of logs and
stumps had recently been burned on the land,
ii is possible that these ashes may have reach
ed to these English potatoes, though not more
so than 10 the others, as the log heaps extend
ed oyer all parts of the field | do not think.
moreover, that the vines ever looked thrifty.
Yours, sc.
J. FENNIMORE COOPER.
P. Sit may be well to say that the Eng
lish potatoes, diseased as they are, have been
fed to store hogs, with perfect impunity.-
What is left Of them seems TO be as nourishing
rs the sound potatoe. They are affected with
the black, cholera looking disease, and appear
to moulder away, rather than turn into semi
liquid purid substance, as was the case with
some grown in my garden, in l844
Hal, CooperstOaea, jon. ., 1916.