197 



wbich I liave found particularly grateful to a collapsed stomach, after a dinner- 

 less tramp over the bald " sierras" of the tropics " where it never rains." No- 

 where (always excepting California) do peas and beans thrive better than ia 

 Racine county, although they are not extensively cultivated as a field crop. They 

 pay well as a remarkable product at the East, but are just beginning to be grown 

 with that view here. The home consuniption is large ; 450 bushels only, were 

 exported from Racine last season. 



Potatoes. — Of this important article of " food both foi- man and beast," the 

 production has greatly decreased, in proportion to the increase of population, 

 within three years past — wholly attributable to the " rot," or disease, which haa 

 made such sad havoc in that crop, here and elsewhere. A few years since, Racine 

 exported thousands of bushels of potatoes to Chicago and other points; but the 

 "rot" has nearly cut oft" that product from among the icems that make up the 

 commerce of our port, a few only being shipped to the lumber region. Some 

 think, however, that the rot has nearly had its run.* 



Sweet Potatoe. — Small patches of this delicious vegetable are grown by some 

 of our farmer.*!, who have occasionally produced a tolerably good article, and in- 

 tend hereafter to experiment moi-e largely upon their culture. A light, sandy, 

 vfarm, dry soil, is best adapted to the growth of the sweet potatoe. 



Flax. — Next after cotton and wool, flax is the most important material that 

 has yet been discovered for clothing the civilized portion of the human fan}ily. 

 And the inducements to its culture are greatly increased, from the fact that it 

 may be made virtually to yield two crops a year — one from its fibre, and the 

 the other from the seed. It is calculated that a good crop will give 350lbs. of 

 flax hnt to the acre; of which about one-third, say 120lbs., will be flax cotton, 

 and the other two-thirds, say 230lbs., coarse tow, suitable for bagging, or the 

 paper mill ; and of seed, there will be from twelve to fifteen bushels to the acre. 

 The product of one acre cultivated in flax may therefoie be stated thus: 



Flax cotton, 120 lbs , at 7 cents per lb 8.40 



Flax lint, or tow, 230 lbs. at 3 cents G.90 



Lin-seed, 15 bushels, at 85 cents 12.75 



Annual product per acre 28.05 



* PoT.\TOE Rot.- — Mr. Flauders, of Lowell, Mu.ss., says, the sprinkling of slacked lime 

 on the potatoe vines, is a remedy for this disease, alleging that it "kills the insect that 

 causes the rot;" and some farmers in Maine and New Hampshire, who have tested this 

 remedy, endorse it as etficacious. It is easily and cheaply tried. Mr. Charles Morren, a 

 Professor in the University of Liege, (on the borders of Belgium,) attributes this potatoe 

 disease to a fimgus, extremely thin and pi'olilic. He says this botrydis poUulates or repro- 

 duces in an incredible manner ; and describes the reproductive bodies as in the form of an 

 egg, not exceeding in diameter the 382-700ths of an incli. But he prescribes no remedy. 



