Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-04-09
agricultural Department.
THE Potato PLAGUE.

An elaborate ueatlse on aHe Iotato WHduy,-
comprising an account Of its origin and appear
ances ia different countries, view Of various theo-
ries concerning Il, with the remedies proposed, aud
an inquiry into the producing the disease
with directions for staying its further progress by
Charles P. Bosom, Editor of the N. E. Agricu-
turist has been recently published at Boston, by
E. L. Pratt
The author attributes the cause of roi in the POI
tato, not to the soil the or the atmosphere,
but 10 the potato ITSELF The disease, he maintains,
exists in the potato, and results from over.ripenng
over cuitya alton, deterioration Of seed aud careless
ness in selecting seed
Il admits Of demonstration, that much Of the loss
es arising yearly in the various crops Of our agricu
ture are traceable directly to the want Of good and
pure seed Pure healthy, and strong seeds, procur-
ed at whatever cost of labor and money, are always
the cheapest; in some cases producing an increase
in the crop Of from to ten bushels But
the increased quantity is not the only advantage
the superior quality Of the crop is itself sufficient
inducement to be very particular in the selection
At recent meeting OF intelligent farmers, all the
speakers agreed in the fact, that potatoes left in the
ground, where they grew, always produced healthy
crop. One farmer says he has followed this plan
forty years with uniform success the potatoes were
always fresh aud well tasted and as seed they never
failed II they are in dry soil, and completely
covered by it, they will no, be injured by the most
severe frost-that is, supposing they to remain
in the soil, until they completely thawed again.
Potatoes are often left in the ground all the winter
many Of them not more than an inch deep, and yet
when they are turned up the spring, they are as
sound as if they had been kept in a cellar.
The author lays it down incontroyertible
fact that potato sets from highly cultivated field
and from a large crop are not proper for seed and
that sets from such a crop will inevitably give de-
ceased product-utimately if not the first year, or
the second To the objection, III rot arises from
this, and the other causes named, why has not the
evil appeared before, and why is it so universal
now 2" he says;
Il answer, that while the crop was produced by
manuresthut thighly stimulating, on land that
did not contain a superabundance of nutritye mat.
ter, and while the quantity produced per acre
moderate, the disease not developed that in
the interior away from cities and large towns there
was no trouble with the crop for great number of
wears; that inthe immediate vicinity Of cities where
manure is abundant and the land highly fed the
disease made its appearance in very early stage
Of the cultivation Of the crop, and its progress was
only stayed by yearly importaons Of seed from
back countries that the disease has been steadily
increasing for years, and it is not disease but
has progressively increased wherever the crop is
cultivated; that the manner Of saving and prepar-
ing seed, growing crops, manuring aud cultivation,
is, and has been, very nearly the same in all the
countries where the potato is grown, and conse-
quently, all the causes which produce the disease
have been simultaneously in operation, everywhere
That the disease is not an epidemic, we know be-
cause sound and unsound potatoes grown upon
the same field | say that the causes of the disease
lie where have placed them because in almost
every instance where the treatment of the crop has
been based upon this theory. there has been no
rot"
After thus stating the causes Of the potato plague
the remedies TO be applied are, he says easily I'M
derstood and within the reach of ALL Sets from
this years crop, that have escaped change, may be
carefully selected, aud though they may be affected
by previous mismanagement, the disease will not
prevail extensively in the crop it did last
year by cultivang expressly for seed storing and
saving them, as recommended, another year will
witness great falling off in the disease, and event
ualy it will disappear, none but healthy sprouts
being planted, disease cannot be propagated.
The author quotes the following udicious re-
marks of Mr. T. Smith, on the subject Of planting
potatoes -
"In preparing parcel of ground for the recep-
ton of the potato seed, proceed to have the ma
nure spread regularly over the surface, and evenly
dug in. then either drill the ground after the
manner Of gardeners in sowing peas, and plant the
potatoes in the drill, or plant them with a dibbe,
without drilling, about two or three inches below
the surface, the dibbe being formed with broad
point, to insure the potato having no open
space left beneath it, when dropped into the hole.
For large fields which cannot well be dug or plant
ed in this manner, would recommend that the
ground be prepared and the dung spread exactly as
for oats or barley. Then have the ground drilled,
and in planting place the seed potato in the clear
soil, on the back Of the half drill formed by the
return of the plough, which half drill should be
made larger than ordinary, to bring the seed as
near to the centre ofdhe drill possible, so as to
afford it every advantage of the fresh soil to vege-
the seed is embedded will secure its healthul veg
citation, and as it progresses in its growth, and so
soon it throws out roots, it will the full BEN
eft Of the manure contained in the surrounding
soil. 1t is Of the utmost importance to have the
seed, that it may have the earth both below aud
above it when put in for in keeping the seed free
from the dung, apprehend, lies the whole secret,
which should be particularly attended to-"