No. 105.] 345 



In the spring of 1843, I had an acre of ground, in corn stubb-le, of 

 heavy yellowish clay, nearly level and liable after heavy rains to have 

 water remain stagnant in the furrows. Dry weather in the begin- 

 ning of May, gave opportunity, by means of two plowings, harrowing 

 and rolling, to bring the soil to a finely pulverized state. Furrows 

 were drawn at a suitable distance apart, to permit the cultivator to be 

 freely used between them. Mercer potatoes, whole, about the size 

 of a shelled walnut, were used for seed, and dropped ten inches apart, 

 and intermixed, at the distance of four paces, with seed of a differ- 

 ent variety. Manured with composted hog dung, and covered light- 

 ly with earth and rolled. After the tops appeared out of the ground, 

 they were sprinkled with plaster, at the rate of two bushels to the 

 acre, and in due season, were well dressed with the cultivator, 

 weeded and ploughed. The season was favorable to their growth 

 during May and June, with one or more heavy rains in July, follow- 

 ed in August by very dry weather. The last week in August, I 

 observed the potatoes were done growing, and commenced taking 

 them up. They were carted and spread on the barn floor, in masses 

 not more than twenty inches deep, and remained there, before assort- 

 ing and storing in the cellar, six weeks. The yield was good, and 

 the size and quality excellent. Finished taking up the crop the first 

 week in September. The weather then changed, frequent heavy 

 showers were followed by a hot sun and sultry nights ; and for two 

 weeks the ground was too wet to take potatoes up. During this 

 time the " Rot" commenced. All my nearest neighbors suffered. 

 Some did not get a sound potato. Whether left in the ground, or 

 carried to the cellar or barn, the second or fermentative stage of the 

 disease had arrived and ended in the destruction of the major part of 

 the crop. 



Observations. 



I have observed that all who planted unsound potatoes of that 

 crop suffered more or less in the crop of 1844. And again, the 

 seed of '44 has produced the "rot " to some extent, in the product 

 of '45, while on the contrary, my potatoes have been uninjured ; and 

 all who planted of them, and attended to the principles laid down 

 in this paper for their cultivation, have escaped the disease. In those 

 cases where the injury done to the vegetable fibre of the potatoe, has 

 produced only the first, or incipient stage of the " rot," it may be 



