158 



state away from water. To imitate natme as nearly as possible, the 

 -width of the pit should be three or four feet, along the bottom of which 

 a layer of potatoes, not exceeding three or four inches thick, Ls to be 

 placed ; over this throw a thin stratum of well-broke mould, then pota- 

 toes and mould alternately, until the pit is finished, with a gentle round- 

 ing at the top, not ridged as usual. Take care to have loose earth next 

 the potatoes, and no straw ; allowing the earth to mix as much as pos- 

 "Sible with them and the potatoes to be dry when stored. — Aitken on 

 Potato Disease. 



A SYNOPSIS OF AN ESSAY, 



OR AN ARTICLE SHOWING THE RESULTS OF SEVEN YEARS' CULTIVA- 

 TION AND EXPERIMENTS MADE ON THE CAUSE AND CURE OF THE 

 POTATO ROT. 



In 1846, I was fii-st visited by the Rot among my Potatoes. They 

 were principally of two varieties, the Meshannock, and a variety of the 

 Pink-eye. I lost at least three-fourths of the former, by the rot, but 

 none of the latter. I sorted a part of the ^Meshannocks after they were 

 dug ; those not sorted soon rotted, as did also those of my neighbors. 

 When plowing in the spring, I plowed out some sound potatoes and 

 planted them ; they were decidedly the best and most productive that I 

 raised that season. 



SECOND year's TRIAL. 



This year I planted a piece of new land, with a variety I raised the 

 previous year, viz., the Pink-eye ; the land being a light sandy loam, and 

 well plowed and harrowed. I planted it the 15th of May, hoed twice 

 by the fourth of July. About the middle of August, I observed that 

 the tops were beginning to die, and soon emitted a very offensive smell, 

 and were quite dead within two weeks after the first appearance of blight. 

 The latter part of Oct. I dug a part of this crop, and found the first 

 settings were all rotten or decaying. Their stench sickened me, there- 

 fore I did not dig them all. Third year, 1848, I plowed one acre of 

 wheat stubble which had not been plowed before, except a place where 

 wood had been charred, one and a-half years before. In fitting the 

 ground, I spread the coal dust, thinking its influence would prove ben- 

 eficial. I planted one acre also in my garden, this year, after which I 



