Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1850-10-18

The Potato Disease.

A correspondent of the Cultivator, who
writes from Central New Y York, anticipates
much mischief from the potato blight in
that part of the country, and as the disease
has shown itself in this county, we give
his account of its first appearance and pro-
gress. He says
"The potato crop in Central New York
came up late this season in consequence of
cold and wet May. Ii grew rapidly i'm the
month Of June, but was not fully in flower un.
til nearly the middle of July, in consequence
of the general lateness OF the season.
The first intlmations of disease upon it
were noticed after pretty heavy rain ON the
23d and 24th of June, followed by cool weather
on the 25th, on which day noticed that the
small and halfformed rosettes of flowers were
paralyzed and falling off unopened
"The next, and much more severe check
which this crop received, was from the heavy
rains of the I'd, Sd and 9th of July, followed
by cool nights on the 5th and 9th, the thermo.
meter sinking on the following mornings to
500. There was not, however, in connection
with these cool nights, the same cooIness and
chafng wind during the day, that have no.
tlced, in former years, in connection with the
after these rains, i. e. on the 9th, observed a
most marked pailid look in the potato crop. at
tended with the whitening of the top of the
leading shoots; more especially at first sim
gle leaf, and the falling off of all the flowers,
whether expanded or not"
After some argument to show that the
disease was the effect of the wet weather,
and the sudden chill of the soil in conse-
quence, the writer proceeds thus:
Alter the effect of these rains and chilis
of the frs. week of July passed of, the ver-
dure OF the potato crop gradually recovered.
Much of the succeeding portions of the month
however, was wet and hot, the atmosphere p
ing like hct vapor bath, a state of weather
undoubtedly untavorable TO the health oi dh
enfeebled plant, such as consider th@ potato
now to be.
"July 18th, two days after ab -dgy ana warm
rain, | noticed the first bl,,s edglRss on the
leaves of the potato seen ts'S season. MS IS
q fearful indication. as il Utmost always spreads
rapidly, and j. siy;s Ives - SPECIFY followed '
.a.<<T1ttr this there was slight recovery of
me healthfui verdure of the crop, which con-
'tinRed until the 25,h. when a slight shower,
followed by a chill on the 26th and 9th, redu.
cling the morning temperature down to $50 and
AGE, once more brought pallid looks and in-
creased the withered leaves and falling flowers
August opened with continuance of all
the preceding morbid Indications, especially
with yely rapid Increase of blue tips upon
the upper and outer leaves of the plant, and
iron-rust spots upon the lower and inner leaves.
whole fields of early planted potatoes now
look as though lately Invaded by scorching
fame. During the present week, my neigh
bors andI have frequeltly fosnd tubers mark
ed with tender, reddish spots on the euticie,
beneath which the flesh begins to be little
soft.
=" What the result viii be, 10 one can tell.
II may be hoped that some,yery lstecrops will
find cooler and more even weather, and so ma
ture fair crop of healthful tubers, just as ws3
the case last year; although, as generalT1Ie.
It is undoubtedly true that early slafted p5aafted pota-
toes do best"
The writer states That he is attempting
to renoyattss-+the ts+he potato by obtaining new
--[EI1fieties from the seed-balls, and also by
importing tubers from Bogota, from New
Grenada and Chill. From these he hopes
to obtain seed-balIs which viii give hardy
variety not easily affected by the blight.
With regard to other plants originally ma
tives of the tropics and now cultivated in
temperate climates, the writer describes the
effect of the present season upon them in
these words:
at may be observed, that t-ceical plants
have grown less vigorously than in some for
ner years, but that, as there has been an abb
ri II doo bp fol lipn
of these plants has not been diseased as much
as in former years. The fruit of these plants
has also suffered less than in former years. i
now refer especially to cucumbers, melons OK
all sorts, summer sluashes and beans. Toma-
toes show strong tendency to the wet rot
The dry black induration upon this fruit, no
ticed in former years Ia connection with The
potato disease, has not yet been seen this year.
The time has not yet come for some tropical
plants to show all the morbid indications TO
which they are liable. as their fruit is not now
(eary ia Septembsr) fully matured."
If, tile potato disease be merely the re-
D suit of alterations Of dry and wet wea-
ther, or of warm and cold, the wonder is
that it has never appeared till late years.
There has been but little more Inconsistency
Of The weather observed in these respects
during the present season than formerly.
Changes from hot to cool, and cool to hot
seasons of fine, dry weather, alternating
with profuse showers, belong to the char
II scter of our climate, but not more so now
than twenty years ago. when we had no
potato blight. Nor is there any change of
climate in England, in Ireland, or Belgium,
or any other part of the continent, TO which
the prevalence of this disease may be at
tributed. That changes from dry to wet
may have an influence in developing the