The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1847-10-14
From the Vermont Agriculturist.
The POtatoe Rot.

j. G. THRALL, Rec. Secretary.
From the Vermont Agriculturist.
The Potatoe Rot.
MEssRs. EDIToRs AS the Rot in the
Potatoe has made its appearance again, |
send you the following There has been SC
much written upon the subject, SO many
plausible theories in regard to its cause and
cure, that | am aware the public would like an
ounce Of prevention rather than so much the
DRY. The following conclusions have been
the result of my own observation and expert
ment.
In the first place the ideaIthat the potatoc
all over the country has become a diseased
stock, remains without proof or warrant. In
the worst infected districts heretofore, where
they have necessarily been obliged to seed
from such as they had, the facts do not sustain
the theory. Ireland, for example, has a good
crop Of potatoes the present year, with little
or no rot. SO I think we may discard the
notion that the only sure remedy is to begin
anew and raise up new varieties from the seed
balls.
My own conclusion is, that the cause of rot
involves the same principles of rust in wheat
that the atmosphere is the principal agent
in its spread and propagation-that certain
soils and conditions of soil are more liable to
receive and develop it, just as some persons
are more liable to receive and develop yell
low fever or any other prevailing epidemic.
In its growth almost the only communication
to the potatoe itself is through the leaves and
stalk. Through that channel it receives its
entire nutriment from the atmosphere and
ii makes but little difference what the root
tubers are covered with, so they are protected
from the sun and wind. Cover seed potatoes
with straw upon a bare rock, and you may
have very good potatoes, provided the atmos-
phere in the immediate vicinity is impregna-
ted with the proper gases. We observe the
first appearance of rot in the leaves and stalk,
an appearance of blight. This taking
place when the potatoe is just coming to ma
turity, communicates the virus, which passes
to the potatoe. The effect upon the leaves
and stalk is to close the pores ;-circulation
becomes imperfect, or almost ceases. So the
virus, confined to the potatoe, exudes to the
surface under the outer peel, and there fer
ments; and the warmer the weather the fast
er the rot progresses. This view is sustained
from the fact that even in the same hill
some may be rotten and some sound.
So much for observation. Now for the ex-
pertinent.
| have cultivated a small piece Of ground,
say one third of an acre, with potatoes, for
the last three years. The soil is loan and
sand, or sandy soil, MANFRED slightly with
barnyard manure two of the years the ma
nure spread and plowed in, and rolled down,
| then deposited with the seed, which was
cut in pieces, nearly one-half pint of the fol-
lowing compound, viz IA Plaster Paris, 1-2
unleached ashes, IA Stacked lime, and 2
quarts common salt to one bushel of the
mixture. say, / put one halfpint of this
mixture in each hill, and covered with the
seed, about the first Of May. For the whole
time we have not seen one rotten potatoe
produced there. We are now on the Sd crop;
and there are adjoining, with only a board
fence between, on soil precisely the same,
potatoes which are already one-fourth rotten.
/ But they were cultivated without the COM
pound. Ihaye little doubt that one of these
two things, or both combined, produced the
difference. The compound, or tie time Of
planting. Those rotting were planted about
the first of June. Furthermore, | have, a
piece planted from the very anne seed ON a
clayey, gravelly soil, without the compound ;
ane they arc rotting. So, asking pardon Tor
saying so much and so awkwardly, Icome-to
the conclusion that the earth, inland espe-
cially, is not sufficiently sailed, or from con-
tinued cultivation, the salt has 'loSt its SaY0r.'
Respectfully yours, &. H. r.
Milton, Vt, Sept. IS, 1847.
! REMARK. About a halfpint of salt and
SCOT, say one-third salt, applied as a top
dressing, has not prevented the appearance of
the rot on the premises Of one of the Edi-
tors. This is a greater quantity Of salt than
our correspondents compound contained,
HONEY BEES. An acquaintance of ours,
in this city, who is quite a Bee-fancier, and
has closely observed and studied their habits
for several years, placed new swarm in a
hive ofhis own construction, on the 25th of
June last. The hive is made to conform to
the natural habits of the i~nsectin its wild state.
1t is Of the usual form, but closed at the bot
som, with a close fitting lid, covered with
wire cloth, and s moshes to the inch. This
allows all the dirt, and chips of comb made
by the bees, to siit through and admits suf-
fcient air for ventilation. 1t is hung on butts
and can be opened to brush off any dead
bees, or any substances too large to fall
through the wire. Near the top, directly
over the drawers, is an inch-auger hole, for
the passage Of the workers This aperture,
being at the top of the swarm, has always a
cluster Of busy bees about it, SO hat no mil
Ter can enter and as there is no other mode
of ingrcss, our friend thinks that the hives
may be kept from worms, which are the great
enemy of the apiary.-Nothing larger than
ants can 90 through the wire bottom and they
are easily kept away by salt. The swarm is
the most Industrious its owner has ever wit
messed, and as evidence Of this, he finds the