POTATO AND BUTTONAVOOD DISEASES. 



Remarks. — We are sorry to be obliged to say, nothing satiafactory has yet been set 

 tied, regarding the nature of either of these disease or the remedy. 



If our correspondent wishes us to add our speculation, to the pile of speculations al- 

 ready before the public, it is at his service. 



We believe both the potato disease and the Sycamore malady to be not the same disease, 

 but diseases owing their origin to causes quite similar. We think them both the result of 

 an attack of the growing parts by peculiar fungi, the seeds of which are invisible to com- 

 mon eyesight, floating about in the air. Wherever these seeds of fungi light upon vege- 

 tation to which they have a natural aflanity, they take root in the young vegetable tissue 

 — propagate themselves and gradually destroy the healthy functions of the plant. In the 

 potato, the fungus attacks the tops, but its decomposing influence is not confined there, — 

 like mould — which is a species of fungus — its influence, so destructive to the life-tissues 

 of the plant, penetrate to the root and appear there in the form of the rot. In the Syca- 

 more, the smallest and tenderest young shoots are first attacked — the poison of the 

 fungus thence gradually extends in a blackened filth-line down the branches, directly in 

 connection with the young shoots, until at la.st the whole tree is poisoned — healthy vital 

 action ceases, and the trunk dies. The fungus ripens its invisible seeds in these decaying 

 plants and trees; these seeds floating in the air seize upon other healthy trees, and thus, 

 little by little, the disease extends all over the country. 



Some fifteen j'ears ago, Buttonwood disease appeared at the South. Ten years ago it 

 began to be fatal in Philadelphia. At that time it had not reached New-York, where the 

 trees were still green and flourishing. It gradually spread northward, it has since reach- 

 ed Canada and will extend all over the continent. The only mitigation of it seems to be 

 in severely heading back the whole top of such trees as are aftected, boring a hole in the 

 trunk, filling it with sulphur and. plugging it up tightly. We have known trees so aflected 

 put out a new head and recover a healthy appearance again. But there is now little doubt 

 that the disease will exterminate the present generation of Plane or Buttonwood trees from 

 the United States altogether. It is a little curious that the plane tree of Europe (^Platanus 

 orientalis,') though so closely resembling our native buttonwood, is not liable to the dis- 

 ease though standing near aflected trees. We have had an opportunity of observing this 

 in our own grounds, and were told in England last year, that a long time ago this very 

 plane tree disease appeared in England and swept off most of the jlmerican species (P. 

 occidcntalis,^ while the European plane tree remained untouched. Such being the case 

 and the growth of the oriental plane being the more ornamental of the two, no one will 

 plant our native species for the present — but select the oriental and especially the pyrami- 

 dal plane tree, now to be had in some of the nurseries. 



The potato disease has extended gradually but rapidly in the same manner all over the 

 world. At the present time its eff'ects have raised the price of potatoes, as an article of 

 food for winter use, nearly four-fold in many parts of the Union. 



We notice that recommendations have lately been made of the use of powdered sulphur 

 in the hills when planting. If it could be sufficiently pulverised and divided by mixing 

 it with ashes or some such substance to render its use feasible in an economical point of 

 view, we should think it more likely to answer the purpose than any other substance — 

 simply because we know that sulphur is the only remedy for certain kinds of mildew and 

 blight — the result of the attack of fungi — yet successfully applied. The chief point, 

 therefore, the remedy being known, is to discover how to apply it with practical benefit. 



And how is it that these fungi suddenlj"^ make their appearance all at once and spread 

 all over the earth — readers will naturally ask? It is not easily answered, the most pro- 



