Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1856-05-17
AGRICULTURAL.
[ From the N. Y. Daily Times
AGRICULTURAL BUBBLES.

history Of the last half-ceniury knows how to
laugh well al the credulty Of poor human ma
ture. As we recall those fcversh speculations
mulicdulis, in Shanghae hens, and in various
other Probabilities by which, during successive
years, the universal Yankee nation" has been
guled, we are convinced that ''the earth hath
bubbles as the water hath, and these were OF
them !"
But, unfortunately, these are not all oflhem.
The last agricultural bubbles has but just burst
when we find another expanding before us IN
the shape of an exotic esculeni Of marvellous re-
pute. Forgetting the sad experiences Of the
past, our ears and our purses are captivated by
the captivating story ola Dioscorcd Jdidtd.--
Yet we ought to be wiser now than ever before
for there is everything in the agricultural ex-
periences to which we have alluded calculated
to instruct and benefit all these gentlemen who
ill the soil, whether they ill for the fun of !, OF
for tho fruit Of it. II they will only remember
the past they will act prudently in the present.
The Batata fever, which is just beginning to
spiead in our rural districts, call to mind the
extraordinary Merino-sheep fever which made
our fathers crazy, and which ought to warn us
children against all similar epdemics. Il first
broke out in 1915. In the Summer Of that
year half-dozen sheep from Andausia in Spain
were imported into Boston. They were imme-
diately invested with a mysterious character
1t was said that their Aeeces were of the finest
texture, and that the introduction of the breed
into this country would enable our wooden man
IL, nr1Juoo
broadcloihs that would compete successfully
with the finest European fabrics. Our farmers
became excited. lIESRY Clay was consulted,
and he Immediately gave the opinion that these
sheep were exactly what was required to enrich
both our agrcultursts and our manufacturers.
The mania spread itself rapidly. The six
sheep at Boston sold for fifty dollars each I;
they cost, in Spain, about one dollar. This
marvellous profit famed the fame Depreciation
and it was not long before a feet set sail from
our shores in pursuit Of the golden Heeces of
-Andalusa. In December, 1916, there were one
thousand merino sheep in the United States,
which were valued al twelve hundred dollars
the head. In 1917 the importation and the val
ne increased. In the Summer Of that year Sc
lect ewes were sold in New. England at fifteen
hundred dollars, and bucks at two thousand -
BY the close of 1917 the speculation in New
England began to decline on account of the ex-
cessive importation hut it increased rapidly in
the Western and Southwestern States, and par
ticularly in Kentucky in consequence of Mr..
CLAY sopinions. 1t is narrated that 10 August
1917, SAMUEL LoSo, a contractor, living near
Ashland, paid eight thousand dollars for me-
rino buck and eve; and he believed that he
had secured fortune by the purchase Some
OF the Oldest Inhabitants may remember SAM
uEL TRoTTER, who resided at that time in Lex
ington, reputed the wealthest man in Kentucky
and the controlling manager of the Branch Of
the United States Bank. He owned merino
buck and eve which LONG was anxious to buy.
TRoTTER offered to give LONG the merinos ifhe
would build fer him certain house upon GER
tain site. The offer was accepted. At an ex-
pense Of about fifteen thousand dollars, LoSc
built and finished a four-story brick house, a.
bout fifty feet by seventy, and delivered il to
TRoTTER for the two merino sheep In six
months from that time the value of the merinos
had fallen to twenty dollars. LosG kept them
until they had fallen to the value of other sheep
when he killed them, made feast Of the cost
ly mutton, summoned his friends, and like the
ruined Venetian, thanked God that he was not
worth ducat lie died soon after of bro
ken heart as did many others who had suffer-
ed from this extraordinary merino mania
But the ROhan potato mania, which seized
upon our farmers twenty years ago, comes lit
lie nearer in character to the Batata species of
ePidemics. The Rohan originated ON the Swiss
border Of France. The first account we have
of it is in letter written by "Prince CHARLES
DE RoHAN," Geneva, April "a, 1894, and pub
lshed in the French agricultural journals Of
that period. RoHAN stated that he had in his
possession two Of these remarkable potatoes,
which the ''exclusiye amateur" who had rails.
ed them from seed, "under lock and key" had
given him in exchange for some varieties of the
cactus, which he greatly desired" RomAs
published startling stories Of tho character Of
this potato. To give an idea of its ex,raordi-
nary productiveness, he says-''a proprietor
near me asked me for tubers, and gave him
one with four eyes, weighing less than half an
ounce. The product weighed forty-eight and
a-quarter pounds" Another proprietor to
WIN" Ho gave tWo tuuets, obtained from them
six double households and eight scuttes full"
These marvellous reports were copied into the
English journals, and thence into our own
They stirred great commotion among our far
mers, who swallowed every newspaper state
ment respecting this remarkable vegetable with
entire credulity. The agricultural press fell
into the current and told great stories Of its
economy and superiority as an article
of food. Even the Culiiudtor, our eadng agri-
cultural paper, Endorsed the story. In 1888
these potatoes sold at three dolers the bushel !;
in 1889 they went up to twenty dollars. Every
farmer speculated in ihem,-and during its
brief day, no potato was favorle but the coarse
yellow and ungainly Rohan.
But it seems that the fools are not all dead
yet. We had forgotten the merino, and null
berry, and potato, and tulip manas, and have
Just recovered from the hen fever, when we
begin to be excited by another agricultural
marvel. The Discorea batata, or Chinese po-
tato, again And it comes 10 US from France
prolific mother of vegetable humbugs But,