The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-10-04
lTnE PoTATo omoLERA.

TIE POTATO CHOLERA.
The very high price asked and paid for POI
tatoes IN this market, invests the subject Of
the potato crop with an extraordinary inter
est 10 high and low, rich and poor : The fact
being established that the Resolve Of our late
extraordinary Legislature, offering reward
Of SIC 1000 for a remedy has not frightened
away the disease from potatoes, II becomes Us
to take view ofihe subject independent Of
Legislation. AZ to the general fact Of the
disease this season, we have taken some pains
Co procure inlormation aid the result Of our
inquiries md readiness Iilr - sssss.s'...l -
follows, Throughout the whole Of Western
New York, Northern Ohio, Canada West,
Michigan, Wisconsin, part Of Iowa, and
Northern Indiana and Illinois, the crop Is n
complete and thorough failure. Throughout
this broad and fertile locality embracing the
most productive portion Of North America,
thcrc will hardly be sound potatoes enough
for secd. In other localities the disease pre-
walls, but is by no means 40 general In is ar
tion-isolAied fields being stricken, while 9th
crs remain comparatively untouched. Tothc
eastward Of us there are conflicting accounts,
but our impression Is that Maine New Bruins
wick and Nova Scotia will furnish very MAR
! ~ their usual supplies for the market, The
same may be said Of Vermont New lamp
shire, and Canada East. In this immediate
vicinity tho crop u immensely better than last
yoAr--.it having suffered very little from the
rot. and the quality being Ear superior. Some
fields were badly injured by the drought; bu,
as n general thing the crops were planted
much earlier than usual,and to this We attrib-
lutte the escape Of many fields from both the
cholera and the drought
A., we dabblc little ia the farming line,
our experience in potato raising may not be
altogether uninieros,ing 10 other amateur
farmers Last year We planted pcach-blov
end Chcnango potatoes side by side; the iAI'
ter were cat OF, entirely by the rot, while the
former escaped, but were 80 poor in quality
as To he unfit for the table This year we
! planted e-a-l and ''rrr- peach blows yirid
very large crop and are large in siEc, while
other varieties planted in the same ield yield
very moderately, and are literally "small po-
ta,ocs." This satisfies US thatthe peach.blow
is harder variety than most othcrs-albcit,
it is subject TO disease callod tho "eurl-lcaf,'
which deriminatcs It's product. hnd which az
7 gfTTs no 0FFICT variety 10 our knowledge, Al
our varieties are this year excellent in quail.
~, and indeed there is very little complaint
Of poor qualify of potatoes this season any
where.
We are sometimes amused at reading the
disquisitions on the potato rot b the agricul'
tuAl newspapers. One distinguished Ngri-
culturis, in Essex County has issued hism
ifcsto declaring that the disease is aimosphcr-
&c, and not caused by an insect. Another
writer states that the blight Of the sycamore
rrcc is the same disease, aud that it is alsoat-
mospheric. As proof Of this ho says a syca.
more which had ieaved out, gave signs Of de-
cay Immediately oner northeast storm =
! Ii we had not known northeast storms in ey-
cry possible variety long before there was
nny potato or sycamore disease, this statement
might be worth the paper and ink thatit takes
to print It But the suppostion is simply alb
surd The disease in both eases is undoubI-
edIy caused by on insect, aud there is no 9TH
err rational hypothesis. We do not glaim the
legislative reward for any discovery Of our
own, but several years observation dsarms
our mind of all doubt as to the cause of the
disease. The remedy is another affair.