64 EXPERIMENTS WITH REFERENCE TO THE POTATO DISEASE. 



sion that the disease had in last July ceased to be active. Stems 

 and foliage produced under its influence, and tubers connected 

 with them, did retain vestiges of previous morbid action. It 

 was not to be expected, although liie plants exhibited signs of 

 returning health, that the tubers, commencing their organization 

 when disease was prevailing, would be sound. One observation, 

 favourable to the presumed return of the potato plant to a 

 healthy state, may yet be introduced. In 1845 the haulm com- 

 menced to die off rapidly in the middle of August. In a few 

 days not a green leaf was to be seen in whole fields. In the 

 present season, there was a sprinkling of fi'esh foliage remaining 

 in many instances two months later, and in some till the middle 

 of November. 



Potatoes raised from Seeds. 



In consequence of the strong opinion entertained by many 

 persons, that the potato disease is caused by exhausted vitality, 

 and that therefore it would disappear if the vitality were re- 

 invigorated by raising seedlings, some experiments directed to 

 that point have also been instituted. 



Potato seeds were received from Baden, through Mr. John 

 Adams, of Bromsgrove ; from Mussooree, through the East 

 India Company ; from Poland, sent to Lord Palmerston by Co- 

 lonel Du Plat, her Majesty's Consul at Warsaw ; and from 

 Messrs. Hardy, Maldon, in Essex. Some of these were sown in 

 pans in the vinery, the plants being afterwards hardened off in a 

 cool frame previously to planting in the open ground. The re- 

 sults are given in Table VI. 



Table VI. — Results of Sowing Potato Seeds. 



Weight 



German seed, from Baden, sown 

 in gentle }ieat April '6 ; plant- 

 ed out April 30 



Ditto 



Seed from Mussooree, sown in 

 the open ground March 18 . . 



Seed from Mussooree, sown in 

 gentle heat April 3 ; planted 

 out April 30 



Seed from Poland, sown in 

 gentle heat May 24 ; planted 

 out June 16 



Seed from Poland, sown in the 

 open ground May 24 .... 



Ditto 



Ditto 



Seed from Maldon, Essex, sown 

 in the open ground March 18 . 



15 13 



14 9 



7 2 

 1 15 



Weight 



Calculated Rate 

 of Produce per Acre. 



1 11 



2 12 



1 13 



3 15 



4 3 

 3 15 



4 2 41 

 3 15 95 



1 6 30 



2 8 30 



1 2 87 



8 15 



1 3 12 



3 13 35 



Rate 

 per Cent. 

 Diseased. 



8 88 

 14 25 



1 8 86 



2 31 



9-G4 

 15-84 



25-00 

 18-42 



9 49 13-94 



1 33 



1 1 90 



1 53 



1 10 74 



47-36 



72-82 

 47-01 



29-44 



