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Potatos. Mr. Smithes disco veries, by enlarging our know- 

 ledge, may ultimately supply an answer ; but at present 

 they seem to make the enemy more powerful by showing 

 that it is always lurking near, ready to strike when condi- 

 tions of earth, air, and plants are most favourable. It also 

 shows the Peronospora more powerful, by revealing its 

 threefold or more modes of reproduction. Destructible in 

 some states it seems positively ubiquitous and invulnerable 

 in others. For the present it almost seems as if the 

 Peronospora had completely over-matched our skill to 

 destroy it. We know better what it is, and also seem 

 more unable to cope with it, Meanwhile, in its more 

 common and well known form, it is sweeping down our 

 crops by wholesale, and converting thousands of tons of 

 wholesome food into loathsome rottenness. 



As we cannot arrest the destructive force of this 

 disease, may we not save something by lifting the Potato 

 crop at once ? This is what I have advocated for years, 

 and each season's experience proves it the best method of 

 saving part of the crop. Left in the soil with the tops 

 either on or off destruction mostly runs through to the 

 bitter end ; lifted as soon as the disease is seen on the leaf, 

 and before it has time to reach the tubers, the major portion 

 of the crop may be saved. I know the stock objections 

 that have been raised, such as a loss of weight, of flavour, 

 and also losses from disease. As to the two first, is it not 

 better to lose some and to have inferior Potatos than to 

 have none ? Besides, quality is very much a matter of stor- 

 ing. Interlayer the Potatos with earth and even miniature 

 Potatos are not bad eating. As to rotting after lifting, this 

 only happens when the lifting has been too long deferred, 

 So harvest the crop before the disease hits the tubers, and 

 it will not affect them afterwards. The testimony of ex- 

 perience is pretty uniform on this point. The apparent 

 diversity of results in the sound keeping of early 

 lifted Potatos has arisen from the disease being too 



