The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1853-05-14
miscellaneous.
The Potato Plant.

brochure, containing the substance OF pap,
read before the Kilkenny Literary and Sic"'n
Institution ard entitled /" Remarks on the Pctau
Plant" which strikes US as Offering a complete
solution of the mystery in which the failure of on
most valuable ssculeEt has been IN long tnVnvIs1
and a. the author OF .he .:ac. has not ~nll d.
covered appears to US the source ut a.e Iisels
but has pointed. out a remedy which Is IN har
mony with one Of Ike mas; widely diifu-e ed law
Of nature, ard in beautiful aualcgy with al Oh
principles Of rerro luctiou aud recuperati0a Of v
tai energy IN the ANIMAL and vegetable world
we esteem it a duty to lay bsiare or Hgrcu
tural readers an outline OF his argument, an.
10 be-spsak for his theory careful and lmpat'a
trial
Tie writer sets kr III with the position hat III.
potato plant is ouly an animal snUowrTca wit
two modes of Reproduction the one llAe The ott
tree, living tor years only, the other, Ike The
acorn, living for ever. Both reprOluetio1s ars de
posts fr 1rn the plant, different IN chsmlca proper
lies, and diving independent Of each s.hrr viii
the plant providing for, but independent Of beth
The tubers at the bottom Of the stalk are anaIo
gous to tho tree which s'isr 4 time s-csne asse
and past bearing The seeds il the potato apple
are analogous to the acorn, whch rc.ss.'e-a per
p.tual power Of reproduction The potato N
hibits gradnoe ssals Of ascending an! descend
ing life, and the ag'hor hs, discovered hat IL.
plant exists for thirty. four YEAR, in three states
being: first, "a an ascending germ from the SEED
which blossoms for five years, viIhoat producing
apples: next. potato with apples, fer ais.iss'
yaars and lastly, in the descending scale, 20
tato, without apples for ten years during Which
interval the plant is becoming more and more r'
fete and probable NJ givin, nuriEent to mar
uutil it dies out altogether.
Toillustra.e this scale, the writer gives The his
tory Of the Jumper potato. 1t was known % SIS,
fron s25 to 1885 it was so charged with "
tality that it would grow without manure IN any
soil, Of large sise. aud producing 80 barrels TO
the acre, though Of quality mnT- a. f"' o''"S
than for man Then was the time, according to
the authors theory t, take seed from It's apples
and have the Young germs rising into strength for
cattle, while the old became more fitted for hu,
man use, The lumphsr now produces Only forty
barrels per acre, and has ceased bearing sFples.
It will soon die out altogether, 1t ia tie same
with most OF lie vsrsls, which once re sned
supreme 10 their day. An impcrtAn:--sn -
.ential-elemen; in the cultivation q the plant
has been neglected, and we are fiis 10 attribute
70 an eplY1,lc disease OF 10 esctr city, or TO The
aphi,rdsiItor or 10 anything the calamity which
is the natural result Of our i.ncrlncs ana COB
,smp;uos. defiance Of the laws ofs.iurs
To follow the writer Of tbs essay nisute'y
through b. process Of reasoning woull occgpy -
much space as the yepris I7s Of Il. sImph.st 1t
must suffice to describe his theory IN summary
;srms. He naisl.ins that the seed supplied iy
the parent plant, ST It's longesi period Of 'i.aly
ia the grouni-taat is fro.a Is 9th TO is ;e,,h
year-musi OF necessity be shs bss; and strongest.
II then Continues green frem i've to seven months.
~ proportion ~ 10 age. In II. nineteenth y'ar
u remaining green only for fvs months. and pre-
n ltn { IL. fs.H
ysH will remain greea only thrse month. AZ !
with little produce. The st.temen, Of tn. evil
prsctss-that II n-glectns to socurs good s-I
from the apple, at the proper ,tag---dem'n.
sirstes the media Ok regainHg and securing the
vitality of the plant. by tbs careful .ultiyatIoa
u the germ, season after season az .ppieaI-er
apple, potato can DC produced, II tn. writeT
theory be correct 80 strong, that il must be'onei
unit for use and able to resist arg cintt.. bu,
in this case the simple remedy ia 10 ALLOW In,
plants to become descending gsrs,s, by which an,
quality can Ia commanded. What Is in reaN,,
the neonpreAensible potato disease" arise, IRON
the inability Of the plants TO perfect their fruit a,
that vixen they die the fruit not being ri Dc. con
tnuss to absorb the accomplishing matter in IA,
leaves and vessels until the vessels close.
The writer gives minute directions for II,
saving Of the seed from the apple. the .athgd d
transplantlr- the rev germs. and that of plantirs
crop nom thu eyes Of the healthy seed p1tatoe,
procured by this rse,hoI For thss. We must re-
Ter our agricultural friends to the ssssv Itself II.
recommends transplauting from the seed germ, in
March or April, aud the choice Of drill, ia prel.-.
ence TO lazy beds The whole experiment can h.,
tested at the COS. Of one shling: anlins,
courage its gsEcral adoption, be- annoss,s. that
he la, IN his possessions tho best ss-d fro,, Ian
don, glasgow, Dublin, and slswh~re. AZ mach a.
would afford ~ each individual 10 The whole of
the city and coulty of Kilkenny on. hundred
plants TO be given without charge. IN order ful.
iy to test the truth Of bis riew,. he ha. lodg.I
E3eo in the Kilkenny Branch Of tha Provincial
Bank 10 os eh'red as PriI,, open 10 all he
world 10 any farmer who will sring 10 the XII.
Kenny Literary and Scientific As.Vs!,tion within
three years, the following po,.tse-. vs: The old
IRISH apple, the cup, the Englsh red, sod the
Iamper. IN the same strength as hs is rov ready
10 exhibit, a. the fruits of h. theory with ,rnIss
on the top, potatossat the bottom. and rensirin,
green from tho l?,h OF A prIl to tisl;,b .'O.t,
Der. Dir. Daniel Ferguson, prsvuci.l Bark. XII
Kenny, 10 authorised TO secure, Aai binds himself
to pay $500, when the cuurcl u! II. institution
oesde 4 TO DO fairly gained md it is further An,
nounesi That the seed oay b. L'slned ,rsn
Robert holyneuI, E.q., John..brii.. ,Bd f.o.,
Nr. william Byan, Scotch esu.s X Kenny.
Ne IKE isis practical vay .! geiny 10 york,
ana 'hlnS that the gage should /. ,aIsn n ky
some OF our northern f,riser. the term, t,in, =,
easy, that the pos.ibls tenoa, Sc, u,r,Is I, N
fortunate competitor, bat ~ he vh,I, co1.lr, "a
very grsat-Bdf,m Nsr. L.il,r