Indiana American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1833-1861, 1856-05-16
ss!stt mists!lann.
Agricultural Bubbles.

cultural history Of the last half-cen-
tury knows how to laugh we'll at the
credulity OF poor human nature. As
we recall those feverish speculations in
Mvriao sheep, in Rohan potatoes, in
Morus muiticoulus. in Shanghae hens,
and in various other Probabilities by
shiah, during successive years, the
"un.versal Yankee nation" has been
guIled. we are convinced that "the
earth hath bubbles rs the water hath.
and the Sc were Of theml"
But. unfortunately, these are not all
Of them. The last agricultural bubble
has but just burst when we find anolh-
er expanding before us in the shape Of
IN exotic esculent OF marve.ous repule-
Forgetting the sad experiences OF the
past. our ears aud our purses are cap
livated by the captivating story of n
Dsoscorea 5afafa. Yet we ought to
ba wiser now than ever before. for
there is everything in the agricultural
experiences to which we have alluded
calculated to instruct AMI benefit all
those gentlemen who I'LL the soil.
whether they ill for the fun Of IL OF
for the fruit OF it. lfthey will only
remember the p st they will &C, pru-
IDENTIFY in the present.
The Batata fever. which Is just be-
ginning to spread Ia our rural districts.
calls to mind the extraordinary Meri-
no. sheep fever whirh made our faith
ers crazy. and which ought to warn US
children against all similar epidemics
Il first broke out in 1915. In the
Summer Of that year half-dozcn
sheep from Andalusia, in Span, were
imported into Boston. They were
Immediately invested with mysterious
character. Il was said that their fee
ces were Of the finest texture. and that
the introduction Of the breed into this
country would enable our woolen man
ufactories. then in their infancy, to
produce broadclosh that would com
pete successful y with The dnest Euro
pean fabrics. Our farmers became ex
cited Henry Clay was consulted,
aud be Immediately gave the opinion
that these sheep were exactly what
was required TO enrich both our agri-
oulturists and our manufacturers. The
mania spread itself rapidly. The six
sheep at Boston sold for fifty dollars
each: they cost. in Spain. about one
dollar. This marvellous profit famed
the flame Of speculation. and il was
not long before feet set sail from our
shores in pursuit OF the golden heeces
Of Andalusia. IN December, 1916.
there were one thousand merino sheep
in the United States. which were val
ued at twelve hundred dollars the
head. In 1917 the importation and
the value increased. In the Summer
Of that year select ewes were sold in
New England at fifteen hundred dol
lars. and bucks at two thousand! BY
the close Of 1917 the speculation in
New-England began to decline on ac-
count Of The excessive importation; but
il increased rapidly in the Western and
Southwestern States, AMI particular,
IN Kentucky in consequence OF Mr..
Clay's opinions. 1t is narrated that
in August. 1917. Samuel Long. con
tractor, living near Ashland, paid
eight thousand dollars for merino
buck and eve; and he belived that he
had secured fortune by the purchase
Some OF the oldest inhabitants may
remember Samuel Trotter. who resi-.
ded at that time in Lexington, repu,ed
the wealthiest man in Kentucky, and
the controlling manager Of the Branch
of the United States Bank. He owned
a merino buck and eve which Long
was anxious to buy. Trotter offered
to give Long the merinos If he would
build for him certain house upon n
certain site. The offer was accepted.
At an expense Of about fifteen thou
sand dollars. Long built, and finished
a four story brick house. about fifty
feet by seventy, and delivered it to
Trotter for the two merino sheepl In
six months from that time the value OF
the merinos had fallen to twenty dol.
lars. Long kept them until they had
fallen to the value Of other sheep, when
he killed them, made fest of the
costly mutton, summoned his friends.
and. like the ruined Venetian, thanked
God that he was not worth a ducatl
He died soon after OF a broken heart;
as did many Others who had suffered
from this extraordinary merino maria.
But the Rohan potatoe mania. which
seized upon our farmers twenty years
ago comes little nearer in character
to the Batata species of epidcmics.-
The Rohan originated on the Swiss
border of France. 7 he first account
we have of il sin letter written by
prince Charles de Rohan." Geneva.
April "a. 1894. and published in the
French agricultural journals Of that pc
riod. Rohan stated that he had in
his possession two Of these remarkable
potatoes, which the exclusive ANA
lcur." who had raised them from seed.
under lock and key" had given him
in exchange for some varieties Of the
cactus, which he greatly desired. -
Rohan published startling stories OF
the character of this potato. To give
an idea oiils extraordinary productive
ness, he says--"a proprietor near m
asked me for tubers, and | gave him
one with four eyes, weighing less than
half an ounce. The product weighed
forty-eight and a.quarler pounds
Another proprietor to whom he gave
two tubrrs," obtained from them six
double horse.loads and eight scuttles
full" These marvellous reports were
copied into the English journals, and
thence into our own. They stirred a
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