Hie Potatoe Plague. 89 



prevented any bad effect from a deteriorated sap. A proof 

 might be obtained by comparing the analysis of an unsound 

 potatoe with that of a sound one. 



Mr. J. E. Teschemacher, who favors the theory of fungus, 

 thus writes to the editor of the New England Farmer : 



I hear, every day, of instances of parcels stored in cellars, 

 apparently sound when put in, which are now totally worth- 

 less. Depend upon it, unless some remedy be found, it will 

 hardly be worth while to plant potatoes another year. 



In order that I may not be misunderstood, I will now suc- 

 cinctly state my opinions on this subject. 



* I think that salt, lime, and several compounds, will destroy 

 the disease. I prefer salt, because, when mixed in the soil, 

 it may get into the juices, and circulate through the whole 

 plant. Lime, or lime water, would do the same-to a certain 

 extent, but it is far less soluble than salt. 



The fungus I have seen, vegetates upon and thickens the 

 sides of the cells of which the potatoe is composed, which 

 cells contain the grains of starch. The starch is not injured 

 until the sides of the cells, rotted by the fungus, burst the 

 worms or maggots breed, and the whole finally becomes a 

 mass of putridity, with an offensive, fungus-like smell. 



I saw in your last week's paper, several cases of the dis- 

 ease occurring where sea-weed had been used, and also near 

 the sea-shore. These cases would seem to militate against 

 the idea of salt being a cure. But they are very far from 

 convincing me, for the following reasons : The salt atmos- 

 phere near the sea, may not have contained one-tenth enough 

 gait to destroy the rot, or the prevailing winds there may not 

 have spread the spray in sufficient quantity. And with re- 

 spect to sea-weed, in a late London journal, there are analy- 

 ses of four different kinds of sea-weed, performed by burning 

 the weed and analyzing the ashes- 

 8* 



