Smyrna times., 1857-10-28
The Potato Rot.

/
Kent county or at least Duck Greek Hundred
has never before been visited with any thing
hall so destructive to the potato crop, as The
: rot OF the present season. Indeed the most o
our farmers have never seen IT before, but il
, has come this fall with vengeance. The crop
that Is not affected is the exception. The pres.
ent cannot be helped; can any thing be done
IN the future is the question. MIR. Lyman Reed
OF Baltimore, has been pursuing the subject with
Undated interest for seven years, and claims
that his remedy has been applied with success
during five years of actual experiment. He
has made application for the award of ten thou
sand dollars offered by the Legislature of Mas
sachusetts for practicable remedy of the dis
ease, and the whole subject with the evidence
ofthe remedy, is, we understand, in the hands
ofthe Board OF Agriculture of that State.
The damage to the potato is done apparent.
ly by an insect almost microscopic, whose eggs
are invariably deposited in the tuber; the places
of fdeposit being small visible punctures in the
surface. When the weather is warm enough,
the insect begins to hatch out, and makes its
way to the neck of the shoot, attacking it i'm
mediately under the second joint. When in
sufficient numbers, or when the weather is fa-
Vorable to their operations, they girdle the
stem, and check the free flow of the sa p
between the tuber and the leaves. and final |
y the tops die off prematurely; sometimes
gradually, and sometimes suddenly when
damp, moist season is peculiarly favorable to
their operations. This result is not necessarily
followed by the rotting of the tuber, but ac-
counts for the general shortening of the CROP
in comparison with those made many year.
ago; hundred bushels per acre being a GOOD
crop now, under treatment which then INSURED
some three or four hundred bushels. MIR. Reed
believes the insect to be universally presen,
upon the potato, and its ravages are greater or
less according to circumstances of'soil, season.
&c. When they have destroyed the vine, they
attack the young tubers, and the rot more or
less is the consequence.
The effects of their operations Mr.. Reed
shows very plainly in various specimens. In
his garden, dead stems pulled up at random.
show the work they had done near its base, and
A number tubers exposed their operations in
various progress-some having only the initia.
ory punctures and scarfcations,' and others
'eing entirely consumed. Mr.. r having now
or number of years been familiar with these ,
Insects by constant AMI careful observation, is /
perfectly sure they are the cause of the disease
and the shortening of the crop even whe
he tubers are not attacked.
The insect does its work of destruction in it,
irst or tarUa state-feeding vorac ously on the
ulces of the plaut-t then undergoes a partial
ra transformation, and magnifed through the mi
'roscope TO the size Of the end of the little fin
yer It's rotund abdomen is Of pcarIy whilcne.s,
While It's formidable legs are beautifully gilded
is inaI change is into a small black beetle
which may be found upon the green leaf OF II
he potato vine, punclurilg and sucking it.
The remedy, Mr.. Reed does not Disclose, un II
il the decision Of the Massachusetts Board o;
agriculture is made known. From severa.
peclmens of the potato growing in glass bot. a
les, Gnd from those growing in his garden, we
hould conclude that 1t is very effectual. The
ines IN The garden are growing green and
'eSh where the remedy is applied, and other.
rise, almost destroyed. The remedy is applied =
, the tuber bef1re planting. it gives US
leasure to say, says the American Farmer, "
nat we have much hope Of Mr.. Reeds sue.
ess, and that his laborous and intelligent re '
earches may be of very great practical value .
SUDDEN DEATH.-On Thursday last, as Col. p
leo. Davis cOlUred man Isaac" was proceed. ="
lg from Mlddletown to his farm in Sassafras A
ieck, Cecil county, Md, with load of lumber. )
e came to his death very suddenly, under the
blowing circumstances lie was sitting on G.
ase OF sash that projected partly over the edge
the lumber for want of room, and which, up- C,
n sudden jolt of the wagon, pitched forward,
hrowlng the driver to the ground, and before Z
c could get out Of The way, [the team going al >,
fast rate,) the wheels passed over his neck,
reaklng it, and causing instant death. He IN
'as trustworthy, valuable slave,-one that
money cannot replace. d
ROBBFRY.-On Friday night last, the house L
Major John G. Black, of our town, was en-. q,
cred, and some valuable goods taken. The !"
nlrance was made through the front door with b,
Notwithstanding it was locked and e
he key In the door at the time. Only one OF
parlor-was entered, and mary Y,
hece ornaments upon the centre-tsble, which =
ad been collected from time to time, were n;
lken. 81
AS these robberies seem to be getting fire. d