The Grand Haven news. [volume] (Grand Haven, Mich.) 1858-18??, 1861-06-19
The Potatoe-Rot-----Three Proposed
Sure Remedies"

. j : H
The thousand and one "new and infal-
ible" remedies proposed, from time to
time, for the cure of this disease, have
done so little TO arrest il, that every ono
has come to feel suspicious of anything
new. Among the older remedies, we
know of none better than the use Of ash
es. A successful farmer, near the writer's
residence, states that he has tried ashes
for several years and with almost CON-
plete success, and he wants TO speak of
them TO the renders of the american
Agriculturist. His method is this; 1
Shortly after the second hoeing, SOW
upon the vines n dressing of unleached
ashes, using from Two and half to three
bushels per acre. Repeat the application
once in six weeks, until the crop is matur-
ed. Our friend, it would seem, considers
the disease of atmospheric origin, or rs
caused by an insect in the leaf, and not
at the root. But whatever the origin, he
keeps the tubers sound by treating tho
leaf r..H
John r. Austine, residing near War
rem Depot, Worcester Co, Mass, asserts
that he has positive remedy for the po-
tatoe rot, and claims u right of discovery.
He sent n box of seedlings, in good order,
TO the office of the american Ayricadtu
rist, on the 18th of April, and wrote:
"They were planted the first week in
May last year. August Is, | put my
feet on each side of the hill, and pulled
tho tops off. Pressing the soil down the
tops were thrown upon tho hills, and not
rotten one was found in the twenty-four
bushels gathered"
He thinks the disease begins on the
vine, aud extends down 10 the bulbs, and
that by stripping off 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 10 dig and store for Winter, with
out the slightest danger Of rot. Mr.. A.
says he has proved the'utility of his pro-
cess by five years ofsuccessful experiment.
But perhaps the exemption of his crop
has been due to other causes. If he viii
further test his remedy by pulling up OH
ly alternate rows, and if he then finds
the rows left undisturbed, 10 be affected
with the rot, while those treated by his
method remains sound, the result will be
somewhat conclusive. There is some
plausibility in it, and it may be well for
others TO experiment with few bills at
least. If the vines are stripped of too
early, it must lessen the yield. A few
hills might be pulled at successive inter
vals of a week, and the results noted.
We find in the English "Mark lane
Express" of March 10, communication
from a farmer whose theory is somewhat
similar to that of Mr.. Austine. The
English farmer concludes from micro
scopic examinations, verified 10y expert
ment, that the potatoe disease is sort of
minute fungus deposited at first upon the
leaves and haulni, (vines,) which spreads
with remarkable rapidly over both tops
and roots, and finally destroys lhem.--
Last season, when the haulm had reached
its full growth, early in July, he bent the
tops over and placed earth upon them 10
keep them down. This was TO prevent
tho rain from descending tho vines to the
roots, carrying the fungus with it. Tho
portion of the field SO treated, although
a heavy clay soil, produced good crop
of potatoes, not one in fifty rotting, while
those allowed TO grow in the usual up
right manner were complete failure
The same thing was confirmed by his
neighbors, In one case n ncighbor hay-
ing no room for some planks, threw them
upon his potatoe patch, and found, con-
trary to his expectations, at digging time,
that those so covered were in excellent
condition, while the othors were badly dis
eased. AS in the former case, the thou
sands of minute fungi or parasitical
plants were washed into the soil at dis
tance from, instead of directly among the
potatoes. AgriculturisL June.
CURING CLovER-AN DIN NOTION
A subscriber communicates the following
extract from an agricultural almanac print
ed in 1909, and asks the opinion of the
AgriculturiSt upon its praclicabilty:
"To preserve clover in its green state
take in your grass from the swath, cut it
up as you would straw in cutting ma
chine, pack it well down in n close apart
ment, or in hogsheads, giving pound of
salt to every hundred weight. By pre-
serving il thus, you will have beautiful
green hay, exceedingly fragrant and nour-
shing and superior to any other fodder
Wouldn't it DO something of a job 10
run the clover from ten acre field thro'
cutter, with the mercury at 90 deg!
How many hogsheads would be required?
The coopers' trade would flourish where
this plan was practiced. One quart Of
salt to q hundred of hay would not pre-
vent fermentation. To save green clover
packed in largo mass, would require
salt enough to pickle 1.-THE fragrance
,nIar euob circnn,cfonaas would ho i,noo.