Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1881-09-15
4arm ono AousebelS.
fur thc American
The Potato Rot.


must run the gauntlet" between bug and rot.
most farmers can count on their hnger., the
bushels Of Weld. If before the day Of
calamities came, potato growing had but a
narrow margin Of profit, how about
dividends now Is the potato doomed To
be stricken from the list Of staple pro-
ducts'
Not until the outbreak IN 1913, did the
potato rot as a new disease, attract at
tention, excite apprehension or cIeste alarm
The theories set up to the cause, and so
popular for a time-insects, or spontaneous
generation-hsve passed into oblivion.
Since 1913, when barely seed was saved
the rot" has assumed the character Of an
intermittent disease. with on and of years
or a cycle Of dormant, and again of soti'e
years. Why it so acts is enveloPed IN
mystery. That the disease ia caused by a
fungus, the outcome Of peculiar s,mos-
pheric condition IS assured. Is there no
preventive, no immunity
The best preservatives sgains; malignant
diseases. Ike typhus types Of fever are pure
air and sirio, cleanliness. Bathing and
ventilation have superseded half the HsdteTid
Of the old medical dogmatists. SO with the
potato-di,ease, prevention is better and
cheaper than cure" much can be done TO
prevent the disease or tone down its severity,
BY cutting of the predisposing causes.
Obsery alton shows that the chances Of
health and disease are in our hands. Take
note potatoes planted on stimulating OF
nirogenous manure, like that Of the horse
and sheep are the frs; struck" and the
worst to rot Manuring in the hill, is a
predisposing cause and so is land rich IN
vegetable matter, or wet and spongy.
Two wears since We planted al acre Of
potatoes. one half being MANFRED in the
hill with sheep dung the other half with
the Stockbridge fertilizer in drills. Al
digging, the sheep manure half gave ayield,
Is hills to the bushel. hd!t' rotten; the
Siockbridge half, yield 80 hill. to the
bushel all sound. In the nice calculation
Of profit and loss, which MAS the beet,
The parasitic fungus which rots the
potato is species Of fungi which infests
most Of the food producing plants. Each
lives at the cost Of that on which il grows
lives by imbib!ng the juices Of the plant.
Mildev, mold rust, smut, bunt, black knot,
etc. are species Of fungi. 1t is but rare
that perfectly healthy plants are attacked.
The prevalence Of fungi in any Of It's forms,
is traceable to stimulating seasons and
forcing manures which induce an unnatural
and an unhealthy growth. either of which
brings the potato or other plants into pre-
disposing condition. The line Of action
suggested by Mycologists is to study and
practice prerAtion. Man cannot change
the seasons but he can mend his WAYS"
and measurably avert the evil.
B. II. 6. Ellsworth, wishes 10 know. lst,
"Wha, turns ~hea, into oats +? ID, II new
weeds and insects are newly created things"
Notwithstanding the boosted march Of
progress" many there be who hold that
hidden somewhere III NATURE dark recesses,
power there is, which can convert lead
into gold, change wheat into oats, and pre-
pare life elixir which shall abolish sick
ness and death.
That wheat can be transmitted into oats
is an error TO however wide an extent il
may prevail. The wheat plant and the oat,
belong neither TO the same genus, nor
species. Wheat (Tritieum ruIgdre) is a
plant Of many varieties, each Of which is cul-
tysted for its seeds, and may be so modified
by cultivation, that bearded may become
beardless; red pass into white the winter
become spring variety and the reverse
but to SO entirely change, as 10 turn into an
oat, is beyond It's bounds TO pass.
The Dat (Areaa sdtira) in appearance,
differs much from wheat and although il
has many species, only one species, which
has passed into many varieties, is cultivated
as a grain. Even its nuritiye qualities are
less than those Of any other grain.
The "oat" supposed TO be transmitted
Cheat" specie. Of Bronze Grass, botanically
known as BromHs secdlinus. 1t has g con-
slant mark Of distinction from wheat or
oats.
II is human nature 10 infer when an IN
known, or unheard-of weed or insect come.
within ones range Of observation, that il is
something new under the sun" tho it may
have been a common pest in the wide world
outside, from time immemorial. Seiolists
may spoil poor ink and poorer paper to
defend the theory, that the list of green
herbs" and creeping things" was not COM
plete at Creations Morn" for such theory
is without q scintilla of evidence to support
it
1t is a curious fact, that the worst insects
are not indigenous, but imported, and more
powers, even with those closely allied one
native, the other foreign, insects which be-
long to the same genus, with habits, size,
shape and color almost exactly alike, while
the Native American insects are but slightly
destructive. those imported, are such terrible
pests. The Native Currant Worm, Onion
fy, Bark-louse, and many others are no,
very troublesome. when the imported ones,
SO swarm, infest and rsvage, as to actually
stop the cultivation Of the currant, etc.
The Hessian Fly, Wheat Nudge. Grain
Weevil, Oyster-shell Bark-louse. Currant
and Cabbage worm, Cooling. Carpet, Clothes
and Owlet-moths, with other insects, whose
name is Legion" have come from the other
side of the Atlantic, yet the only insects
which the New World has given to tine Old,
are the White Ant, Meal-worm and Colorado
Beetle. Our other bad bugs. the Curculio,
Apple-tree Borer, Tent-caterPillsr and