159 



plowed where I raised potatoes the year before. I found those left in 

 the fall wintered finely. I never saw potatoes looking brighter ; there- 

 fore I dug and planted them on the same ground. This year, as soon 

 as I discovered any disease, or dead leaves, on the tops, I took up a hill 

 nearly every day, for the purpose of dissection, to ascertain where the 

 disease commenced. I soon satisfied myself that it alwas commenced 

 first in the old tuber. About the middle of August ray potato tops 

 were killed by the blight, *in the two pieces fii-st mentioned. When 

 dug in Sept., they were badly diseased, especially where I spread the 

 coal dust. The third crop showed no signs of disease on the 

 tops while growing or on the tubei-s when dug. The yield was 

 more than commonl}'' good. (I left some to winter in the ground, 

 where they grew, and shall hereafter call this my seed patch.) I was 

 now led to think of the cause of so strange a phenomenon and came to 

 the conclusion that the disease was in the seed root. 



CULTURE FOR 1849. 



I planted one acre with potatoes, (obtained from a neighbor,) culti- 

 vated them in the usual way ; I commenced early to dissect the stalks 

 and old tubers, and found as on the previous year, the disease showed 

 it^lf first in the old tuber. 



Another crop : those left in my seed patch, were cidtivated on the 

 same ground and left to winter there again. 



CULTURE FOR 1850. 



On the 16th of May, I dug one-half bushel of the last mentioned 

 potatoes, and planted them on a rich black loam, in one corner of my 

 cornfield. I planted about one acre this year, besides, with potatoes ob- 

 tained from a neighbor ; while the former grew finely during the whole 

 season, producing a healthy crop, the latter were diseased early. I 

 came to the conclusion, as to the cause of the disease, as on previous 

 years. 



CULTURE FOR 1851. 



About the 1st of May, I dug ^^.quantity of seed potatoes from my 

 seed patch, and purchased the same quantity of a neighbor, of the 

 ' same variety, and planted them side by side. In July we had some 

 pleasant showei-s, which saturated the ground, putting it in condition 

 to ferment and decompose vegetable matter. I earned on my investi- 

 gations from day to day, and found all the seed roots I had purchased were 



