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powerful microscope." "You are both wrong," remarks a third: "it is 

 caused by over cultivation ; procure seed from South America, or raise 

 it from the berry." "I did both," says a fourth, "and found no relief 

 from the terrible rot." " It is contagious," says the fifth ; "pull up the 

 stalks and burn them immediately." " Not so," replied a sixth ; " I 

 planted damaged potatoes, and their produce Avere sound and healthy." 

 " Plant in the fall," writes No. 8. " It is a sovereign remedy." " I did 

 so," rejilies No. 9, "and I do not approve of the plan. My fall planted 

 potatoes were much damaged by the rot. Many of the sets were des- 

 troyed by rain and frost, and those which escaped did not produce a 

 good crop, as the ground became too hard around them, from lying so 

 long untilled." In this State, that plan is altogether impracticable on 

 account of the intense frost. 



In the midst of all these conflicting opinions, the farmer should learn 

 to place reliance on his own judgment and observation, and he will soon 

 discover : 



That the disease is atmospheric. 



That it generally appears after lightning. 



That it is conveyed to the plants by dew and rain, and sometimes re- 

 moved by fine weather. 



That dry sandy soils sometimes produce potatoes free from the rot, 

 whilst those raised in damp clayey land, are destroyed by that malady. 



That some varieties of the potato escape, whilst others are destroyed. 



That the blight is not confined to the potato, but appears on many 

 kinds of plants and vegetables. 



That early planting, careful manuring, moulding and weeding assist 

 in bringing a crop to perfection early in the season, before the rot or 

 blight appears, and that a great deal depends on draining the land prop- 

 erly, and forming the drills or hills in such a manner that rain water 

 cannot remain around the roots. 



Doctor G. H. Adams, of Berkley street, London, has ascertained the 

 eflect of nitric acid on the potato plant. His experiments were made 

 with diluted nitric acid, in the proportion of one portion of the acid to 

 twelve of water. He found that the potato leaf, on account of its pe- 

 culiar spongy and unprotected nature, readily imbibed the liquid, whilst 

 the leaves of other plants, more especially those more completely en- 

 cased in their peculiar coating of silicious or glassy varnish, completely 



