Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1861-06-07
AGRICULTURAL
The Potato Rot. - Three Proposed
''Sure Remedies"

The Thousand and one "new and iniall-
bic" remedies proposed, from time TO t'me'
for the cure of this disease, have done So
little 10 arrest it, that every one has come to
feel suspicious Of anything new Among
the older remedies, we know OF none better
than the use Of ashes. A successful idriner'
near the writer's residence, states that he
has tried ashes for several years and with
almost complete success, and he wants to
sneak Of them TO the readers Of the Amer
scaa Agricultarist.
Ills plan is this Shortly after the second
hoeing, SOW upon the vines u dressing Of
unloachcd ashes, using from two and half
to three bushels per acre. Repeat the APP
plicaton once in six weeks, until the crop
Is matured. Our friend, il would seem,
considers the disease Of atmospheric origin,
or as caused by an insect in the leaf, and
not AZ the root. But whatever the origin,
he keeps the tubers sound by treating the
leaf.
John b. Austine, residing near Warren
Depot, Worcester Co., Mass, asserts tha,
he has positive remedy for the potato rot,
and claims right of discovery. lie SEM
box of seedlings, in good order to the
,flice of the american AgricnituriS, ON the
18th of April, and wrote They were
planted the first week in May last year
Aug. is, put my feet on each side OF the
hill, and pulled the tops off. Pressing the
soil down, the tops were thrown upon the
hills, and not a rotten one was found in the
"a bushels gathered lie thinks the dis
al. and nxfanIs Inyp
10 the bulbs, and by stripping oil the tops
as soon as there is the least sign OF rot, or
black spots, the potatoes may be left In the
ground any length of time, or until CON
venient to dig and store Tor winter, without
the slightest danger of rot. Mr.. Austlne
says he has proved the utility of his proc
ess by five years Of successful experiment,
But perhaps the exemption Of his crop has
been due to other causes. If he will fur
Their test his remedy by pulling up only al
ternate rows, and ii he then finds the rows
left undisturbed, to be affected with the rot
while those treated by his method remain
sound, the result will be somewhat conclu
sive. There is some plausibility in it, ant
il may be well for others to experiment
with few hills least. If the vines art
stripped off too early, it must lessen The
yield. A few hills might be pulled at sue
cessive intervals of week, and the result
noted.
We find in the English "Mark-lane Elk
press" Of March 10, a communication from
farmer whose theory is somewhat simla
to that of Mr.. Austne. The English farm
or concludes from microscopic examinations
verified by experiment, that the potato dis
ease is a sort OF minute fungus deposited a
first upon the leaves and haulm, (vines,
which spreads with remarkable rapdit,
over both tops and roots, and finally de
stroys them. Last season, when the hauln
had reached its full growth, early in July
he bent the tops over and placed earth upo
them to keep them down. This was to pre-
vent the rain from descending the vines Il
the roots, carrying the fungus with it. TIL
portion of the field so treated, although
heavy clay soil, produced good crop q
potatoes, not one in fifty rotting, while thos
allowed to grow in the usual upright man
ner were complete failure. The sam
thing was confirmed by his neighbors. /
one case neighbor, having no room 70
some planks, threw them upon his potat
patch, and found, contrary to his expectg
tons, at digging time, that those so covere
were in excellent condition, while the other
were badly diseased. AS in the forme
case, the thousands of minute fungi or pal
asitical plants were washed into the soil
a distance from, instead of directly anon
the potatoes.-American Agricuhrist.