POTATO DISEASE, 103 



the disease itself, hypothesis No. 1 is set up that these plants suf- 

 fer because they are enfeebled, and incapable of resisting atmos- 

 pheric vicissitudes which do not disturb healthy plants. To ac- 

 count for this imagined debility of constitution, hypothesis No. 2 

 is invented, viz : that propagation by tuber, layer, cutting, bud, or 

 something else than seed, weakens a plant. The whole theory is 

 baseless. 



I am aware that certain phenomena have long been currently 

 accounted for in this manner. The wretched state of the Lombardy 

 poplar in this country, is attributed, in our older botanical works, 

 to the fact that we have but one sex of that dioecious tree with us ; 

 no seed is therefore produced and propagation being continued by 

 cuttings, the tree is asserted to have " run out." This doctrine 

 has been accepted without adequate criticism, and is opposed by 

 all the experience of the fruit and flower culturist. 



What variety of grape, rose, dahlia or other plant that has been 

 continued in existence for years, or even centuries by other than 

 seed propagation, has run out, or begun to run out from that 

 cause ? The advocates of the theory of " constitutional weakness" 

 may be safely challenged to produce a single fact that unmistaka- 

 bly sustains their doctrine. The failure of the Garnet Chili to with- 

 stand the rot, has settled the matter for Mr. Talcott, and ought to 

 for J. G. W. The latter will allow me to say that if anything that 

 he or I have caused to be printed in the " Country Gentleman," 

 deserves to be characterized as " altogether too visionary, fanciful 

 and far-fetched," or as " arrogant, not to say absurd," to my mind 

 it is that pet theory of his, the distinguishing character and peculiar 

 excellence of which is " constitutional weakness," the Pelion of 

 unreason piled on the Ossa of conjecture ! 



The doctrine we combat not only lacks the merit of truth, but it 

 has all the virus of falsehood. It not only leads to wrong conclu- 

 sions, but it leads away from correct results. Propagation by 

 tubers, layers, offsets and buds is not only not enfeebling, but is as 

 natural, and therefore as healthful under proper conditions, as 

 reproduction from seed. 



More than this, the vine dresser and horticulturist know these 

 methods of propagation, skillfully combined with scientific culture, 

 are in many cases means of attaining excellencies of character 

 and constitution that mere seed reproduction does not readily 

 admit of 



