No. 105.] 371 



Mr. Findlay, Lanarkshire, says ; " I do not think it is owing to 

 the season, which has not been particularly wet in the west of Scot- 

 land." Mr. F. thinks that the germs of the disease were contained in 

 last year's crop. 



Mr. Drummond^ Dundee. " I by no means consider this season too 

 wet for potatoes. Prior to the 19th of September, we had nothing 

 like wet land all the season over, although we had sunless, damp 

 weather in July and greater part of August. Certainly if wet had 

 anything to do with the disease, the wet, or rather damp land, would 

 have shown it first." 



Mr. Elliott, Hardgrove. Dumfriesshire. "My opinion is that this 

 season, up to October, was far from a wet season. We had dull 

 weather, and little sun, but far from too much rain ; in fact just such 

 a season as formerly we considered best adapted for potatoes." 



Mr. McKnightj Kirkcudbrightshire. " It is difficult to believe that 

 the wet season is in any way the cause of disease, when the crop on 

 the driest ground is in many instances the worst." 



Mr. Gumming, Wigtonshire. ' ' The wet and cold season offers the 

 readiest solution, at least many hold it as such ; but we have seen as 

 wet and cold a summer and no disease in the potato." 



Mr. Lyall, Forfarshire. " I do not think the wetness of the season 

 has had anything to do with the disease in this neighborhood. Neither 

 do I think we have had so much rain in the east end of Forfarshire, as 

 has fallen in the southern counties." 



Mr. Laurie, Dumfriesshire. " We have had some seasons of late 

 of far more rain and no disease appearing." 



Mr. Webster, Isle of May. " I consider this to be the finest season 

 we have had for some years past for every kind of crop, and pasture 

 grass has been most abundant." 



These replies seem quite decisive on the subject of wetness, for one 

 well authenticated instance wdiere the disease has occurred under cir- 

 cumstances that precludes the idea of its being caused by w^et, renders 

 Ihe theory quite untenable. 



The question of its being owing to sudden changes of temperature, 

 is not so easily settled, especially in this country, where changes are 

 so frequent. 



[Senate, No. 105.] 24 



