POTATOES. 



A communication on this subject was forwarded to the 

 Secretary in the autumn of 1855, by Dr. Webber of Charles 

 town, from which the following extract is made, as being 

 still of importance : 



A new disease, this summer, made its appearance in this 

 region, at least a disease new to me, as to seeiag it, though 

 I have read of it in English agricultural writers, and new to 

 all the farmers about me with whom I conversed on the sub- 

 ject. This disease is what is called the curl, from the ap- 

 pearance of ihe leaves of the plants when aifected with it, 

 as they do not spread out flat and luxuriant as when they 

 are well conditioned, but are contracted and crimped round 

 downwards to the stem, while the stem itself, though suffi- 

 ciently sturdy, runs up straight with littleor no disposition 

 to send out branches. Potatoes thus aflccted form but very 

 few tubers, and those very small and of a bad quality. 



In former days before the Rot made its appearance, this 

 curl was occasionally prevalent in England, and was much 

 dreaded as greatly injuring and sometimes destroying the 

 crop. It was usually attributed to uncommon coldness in 

 the season ; I never heard of it before in this country. It 

 manifested itself at the coming up of the potatoes in the 

 latter part of May and the beginning of June, wlien the 

 ground was very dry and the weather quite cold and windy. 

 I noticed it first in my own potato patch, and then exam- 

 ining those of my neighbors, found them also to be aflccted; 

 though, in no case that I have known here, to any great 

 extent. It seemed to be scattered about in patches of 



