Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1854-01-26

teristics which never before attended it.
In all former years, the potato raised under
glass gave early indications Of the disease;
on this occasion there were few, If any, COM
plants ON the subject. The next popularity
was that. as soon as the stalks became brown
and spotted, the disease was ravaging the tu-
bers. But, on this occasion the stalks were
brown, in many cases, for weeks before any
manifestation Of the disease took place. and
it was hoped it had expended its virus in
blackening the tops, when the tubers SO long
escaped. A third popularity was, that the
crop this year was fully mature before the
visitation took place; and hence there was a
prospect of most abundant yield; the disease
set in after the heavy rains of September-a
time when, otherwise, the plant was assumed
to be safe But it was not the rain which
caused it, because in many instances, when
the potatoes were taken up, and stored away
carefully and dry, covered so as to have no
evil atmospheric nfuence-still on opening
the pits or removing the cover, if housed,
they were just as bad as if they had been full
y exposed. Ali precedent, all experience,
all accumulations of knowledge, all things set
at naught, with one fell swoop.
Nor is it peculiar. In the north and i'll
the south of England, in the whole of Ire
land, and in the generally more favored dis
trict Scotland, the disease seems to have
spread, while in Canada it has appeared with
great virulencc We have not heard how the
small islands Of Scicily, and the Isle of Wight
have this year been favored as they have
usually escaped in considerable degree, when
others have been sufferers.
In this country the disease has resolved it.
self into simple question of the abstraction
of so much iood-fully thirty per cent of a
good crop are already gone; but in ireland
the investigation is vital and stirring We
have before us report of the meeting Of the
Chemico-Agrcutulal Society of Ulster, in
which the plan of DR.. Bollman was COM
pletely canvasscd, with other modes proposed
to arrest if not cure the disease.
DR.. Bolman's principle seemed to US by
far the most reasonable Of all recommended,
if the disease were at all inherent from the
parent tuber. DR.. Hodge demonstrated the
disease to be a fungus, breaking up the struc-
ture of the potato and if there was seminal
infection, ike the smut in wheat, DR.. BIS
plan of high-drying the tubers was by far the
most rational one we know Of, especially as
extreme dryness is absolutely destructive to
the sporules Of almost every fungus, and the
Botrytcs, the peculiar fungus of hcpotato dis
ease, was unlikely to find indus in so highly
dried set But if it be first of all atmos-
pheric, as is all but certain, and if the decom-
posing mischief is from without, we cannot
see how DR.. Bolman's preparation could be
at all eifcctual.
And so it appears it has failed i'll number
less instances; and so has peat charcoal, as
well as pulling up the stalks, planting them
in spent tan, and thousand more familiar
schemes Of prevention.
The whole of the facts, however, lead to
this conclusion-plant as early as possible, so
as to get large portion matured end sold
before the disease sets in, as it usually does
with great severity late III August, though
this year it was about the middle of Septem-
Der before it became general.