The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-10-20

NEW ORLEANS SUNDAY MORNING. OCTOBER 90 1873

could have averted. 1t may be that the people
may De able to tide over the winter without
assistance: but If our worst fears should be
realized, the good old warning should be re-
Telegraph.
Tie Potato Crop, 1873 The potato famine
was one Of the greatest cal amities that has ever
fallen on Ireland. Its effects were not confined
70 an one GLASS. 1eswept away vast numbers Of
people with vengeance, and crushed beneath
iSs rohs many benevolent landlord. Since
this great famine, the potato disease has ever
slnce appeared in more or less aggrav ated
symptoms and on the other hand, in many
years its effects were scarcely felt. 1t has un-
expectealy manifested itself this year in q
most ms wEasnt a 5H, and Rsodaosd panic
this inquiry is truly alarming Our
inquiry referred principally to- four points,
namely; 1ss. The yield Of the. crop this
the average. Sd. The extent to which disease
prevails just now. 4th How far the disease is
extending its baleful influence. According to
answers of correspondents in county Cork, the
loss will amount to three-fourths Of the value
of the crop. In Limerick and Tipperary the
disease has committed great havoc, and the
tuhers that remain sound are very small. In
equally deplorable. A most intelligent CORE
spondent, writing from Ciifden, says that the
disease has appeared throughout the entire
districts and already destroyed upwards of
"o-cutAoo Va Su0 cEOp l"onIy-LSC COTT6-
spondsnts in other parts of the province of
Connanght give similar reports. Our advices
from the North are not quite SO bad. They
agree, however, in showing that this fearful
provinces. In Donegal the crop has been put
down from one-half to two-thirds of an aver
age. In Fermanagh, Tyrone, Monaghan, Lon
donderry, the crop bias not been estimated by
any correspondent at less than half the aver
age:
The only district from which we received
anything like hopeful cws in county Antrim.
Our Ballymoney correspondent says that on
his own farm the yield this year is five aud n
half tons per statute acre-that this is only
half q ton under the average, and that up to
the present only ohe-fenth of the crop is dis
eased. Another correspondent who lives with
in ten miles of Balfymoney, says the disease
has appeared everywhere, but that, SO far as
he sees, there ia no reason for the alarming
reports which appear In the newspapers. We
most sincerely wish We could indorse his views,
but we greve to say the evidence points only
to one dark issue. Throughout Lenster the
disease appeared i'll the third week of July.
! when the crop was about half-growu, and
when the plants were unable to withstand its
ravages. Every experienced man foTesaw,
from its appearance at this stage, the fearful
consequences that were inevitable. The
knowledge of its appearance soon fonnd its
way into the press, and caused q weitfounded
alarm. III Meath, Westmeath, Kilkenny,
Queens County, Dublin and Kildare We have
had the potatoes dug for our inspection, and
| the results OF our ODServaClOnS, coupled Win
| the facts to hand in answer to our circular,
| force on the conviction that in Lenster
| half the crop is already diseased. We wit
! messed in Queens County poor man digging
| his crop. There was evidence that the ground
had been we'll prepared, and that manure was
literally used. The yield was not one-fourth
good average crop, and such as it was one
half of the crop was already very much dis
eased 1t was melancholy sight to witness
this poor old man, who had no small share of
his dependence for this years food on tho po-
tato. Judging from all the evidences before
US, tho potato crop of 1872 will be considerably
under half an average, and may not exceed
one-thid. Many of our readers have not re-
fected on the magnitude of this loss. 1t is
easy to put before them few figures which
| will help them to realize the national calamity
that the disease brings to Ireland this year
| In round numbers we grow 100000 acres OF
potatoes. At the lowest estimate the average
yield will be two and half tons ache
short of an average, or altogether 100000
tons. The lowest price we can put on
| the value of this crop is E3 q ton. Then
the loss which the potato disease will inflict
on Ireland this year is at least Els 6600i-
thirty shillrgs head for every man, woman
and Guild in tbeland. 1t may amount to double
this sum. The gross loss will in all human
probabi ity, exceed 10000 600, which is more
than three times the amount of the local taxa
tion of lreland.-Dublin freeman.