Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-04-28
The Potatoe Disease Cause and Remedy

| wish to direct the attention of the numer-
ous and intelligent farmers who are readers of
the Weekly Sun to the much mo0ted subject
of the potatoe disease | entertain peculiar
views in regard to the cause of the disease or
rot. That the rot is caused by degeneration
become hereditary in consequence of being for
many years grown in q soil impoverished in
those particular inorganic elements required for
the growth of the healthy potatoe The
vitality of the plant has become diminished, so
that the tnber cannot resist the influences of
those disorganzing chemical afinities that
always, under certain circumstances, control
the decomposition of lifeleSs organic matter.
The remedy consists in restoring to the soil
those more soluble and indispensable con-
stituents that hsye been gradually abstractcd
by an exhaustng system Of cultivation, which,
like many other great evils, men seem to cling
to with kind of obtusc pertinacity. Ny main
dependence in raising a crop Of sound potatoes
is in manuring the land with unleachcd wood
ashes and bone dust, or any materials that
contain potash lime, magnesia aud phosphoric
acid. These should be applied in sufficient
quantity to bring the amount of the soluble
compounds of those substances even beyond
what is found in most virgin soils. The potatoe
tutional diseases. will require treatment for two
or three generations for It's entire eradication,
although actual rot" may not attack the first
properly grown crop.
Those farmers who would undertake to raise
premium crop Of potatoes, will find, in the
following direction, a guide by which they may
raise crop which will exceed their expectations
as to yield and quahty-leading many of them
to think that the popular notion that two
hundred bushels per acre is a fair crop of
potatoes which ought to be entertained only
by those who are willing to let all their neighbors
outstrip them.
Select the oldest clover sod that can be
obtalned-lying upon warm, gravelly loan.
If the lot has been q hog pasture the previous
season, so much the better. Apply a good
dressing of well fermented barn-yard, or still
better of fine manure, free from cobs, from the
hog pen or yard Plow deep, and just at that
state of moisture when the earth turns up rich
and mellow. If the land has not lately, or has
never been lined fifty or hundred bushels
per acre of freshly Stacked lime should then be
carefully and evenly spread over the surface !;
this can be done in the best manner by lime
spreader. To this add twenty bushels cf leach
ed and ten bushels of unleached wood ashes
per acre. Harrow once, and mark out the
ground for planting, either in hills or drills, as
may suit the judgment. If in hills, place
about two tablespoonfuls of mixture of equal
parts of bone-dust and leached ashes, and
about three times that quantity of the finest
and most fermented manure from the hog yard
at each crossing. Stir with the earth by means
of manure hook, drop and cover the seed
and then dust a good handful of unleached
ashes on each HILL The after culture may be
done according to the Judgment of the person
most interested-the best farmer being the one
most likely Gall other things equaI to raise
the best crop.-BahimOre Sun.