Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1846-04-18

have received pamphlet containing collection
Of facts on this subject, By Thomas Croft, Of
Wilkesbarre.
& The facts which are quoted from the actual re.
suits of practical men in this country and Europe
show most conclusively that the disease is eau
sed by an excess Of carbonic acid. Carbonic a.
cid is essential to the growth of all vegetables.
Lebig, the celebrated chemist, says, however,
"We know that an excess Of carbonic acid kills
plants" Its strong affinity for the alkalies is
well known. Whenever, therefore, lime ashes,
charcoal, salt, plaster and guano have been used,
all Of which substances contain one or more Of
the alkales, the potatoes invariably escaped the
disease, while those, in almost every instance,
when planted side by side, cultivated with stable
manure only, were more or less affected. As the
season for planting is at hand we make the fol-
lowing extracts from authentic and reliable sour
ces: tit -a
The New York Genesee Farmer, of North.
western New York, recommends "dressing the
land with common ealt, charcoal, &C." See
Report Of the Commissioners Of Patents, to Con.
gress. for 1914.
Salt contains soda, an alkali
Charcoal possesses the power Of absorbing
carbonic acid, and thus preventing the potatoe
from getting it when it does not need it.
The Newburyport (Mass.) Herald says tive
tried the experiment of putting nearly tea
spoonful Of salt into each hill at the time of
planting. The experiment was successful !;
and we had fine little crop Of entirely fair
and good potatoes" He had lost his potatoes,
for two years before, when he used no remedy,
on the same ground See same Report.
DR.. Leibig says: "Po,atoes require a great
quantity ofalkali"
DR.. Lee. scientific gentleman Of New York;
who has been employed by the ~ York State
Agricultural Society to go through hout the State
and deliver lectures on Agricultural Chemistry,
in writing to the editor of the Albany Cultiva.
tor. from Smithvile, Chenogo county, N. Y.
under date Of July ID. 1S45, and whose letter is
contained in the August No. of that paper says
"Morc than one half of the ash OF potatoes is
pure potash Acting on this hint. have found
in my tour scientific farmers, who by the use of
unleached ashes, lime and plaster. mixed in e..
quail parts, and placed in the hill with the seed,
and on the hill as soon as [plnnted] have Who'll.
ly escaped the potatoe rot, und harvested for
several years, from 500 to 600 Bushels per a.
cre."
In letter from Ulster county, N. Y. dated
December 18th, ls44, by r l.. Pell, and addres.
sed to Hon. II. l.. Ellsworth, then Commission.
or of Patents, we find the following accounts of
experiments: "In the year ls43, planted q
field Of several acres in drills. narrowed the
ground level, and top dressed it with 200 bush.
els ofoyster shell lime and charcoal dust to the
acre. The yield was $50 bushels per acre At
the same time the potatoes throughout the coun.
'ry were more or less decayed; likewise par
eel ofthe same seed planted contiguous to the
above, not lined, were also decsyed.
This spring, when ] began 70 plant my pota
toes, took about tablespoonful Of saked lime
and put it into each hll and when they were
up, and before they were hoed, mnde a mix.
ture of s bushels of leacheG ashes, 9 bushels oi
lime. and bushels Of ground plaster. and stir.
red them well together. l made a scoop tha,
held about one gill, and put this full Of the mix
ture on each hill, close to the stalks and
found. when began to use them in the sum
mer, that they were all sound, and continued
80; and had not one rotten pofatoe when
took them up in October, although my neigh
| bors, on both SIDES of the farm, had scarce any
sound ones TO get in. So must think thai
what did TO my potatoes was the cause of my
being SO successful" See Rep. Com. Pat.
page 23s.