1C2 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



further growth of the fungus that may be already present in the 

 substance of the tubers. 



With a knowledge of the time of year that the fungus makes 

 its attack, it is evident that, by growing quick-ripening varieties 

 and planting them early, the crop may be gathered before the time 

 for the rot to come. On this account, in particular, the growing 

 of early sorts is recommended. 



As a precaution against the propagation and spread of the fun- 

 gus, the vines of all the potatoes should be gathered after digging 

 and burned, thus destroying many millions of minute spores that 

 would otherwise remain to cause further trouble. Any tubers 

 that are at all affected should be thrown out, and either fed to 

 stock or burned. The storing of one such potato may communi- 

 cate the rot to the whole bin 



The Potato Disease in Eukope. 



The heavy losses which the farmers of Great Britain have ex- 

 perienced during the last five years from the potato rot, have given 

 rise to serious doubts whether this valuable crop can be grown with 

 profit in European countries in the future. Like every other 

 agricultural trouble, this one stimulates thought, and leads to new 

 methods of culture, that are experimental, and it may be benefi- 

 cial. Of late much attention has been directed towards the finding 

 of a " disease-proof " variety of potato, or at least the production 

 of sorts, that though attacked by the rot, are able to withstand it, 

 and not be seriously injured. To encourage this work of finding 

 out the best kind of potato, prizes have been offered at different 

 times, and elaborate experiments, to test the varieties, have been 

 carried out, without any very satisfactory results. But a great 

 deal of good has grown out of this seeking for a disease-proof po- 

 tato, especially in the way of improving the varieties through 

 carefully selecting the tubers, and their proper cultivation. Know- 

 ing that the disease is a parasitic fungus, the development of which 

 is favored by warm, moist weather, and hindered by the opposite, 

 there is little hope of finding a variety of potato that will differ 

 so materially from all others, that it will be proof against the at- 

 tacks of this fungus. There are, nevertheless, certain precaution- 

 ary Tueasures to be taken. These are embodied in brief, in an 

 English treatise on the disease. I take the following: "Secure 

 good seed if you can, entirely free from disease. Plant early — on 

 light land, five inches, on heavy land, three inches deep — and 



