THE POTATO MURRAIN. 



I(f all our observation we have never kno\vn 

 a period vvbere two subjects engrossed so much 

 of the public attention, and filled so large a space 

 in the public papers, as do the Potato Disease 

 and the railwaj- mania, at this time, of the pub- 

 lic mind and papers of Euglaiid. 



Although tliis disease may not prevail with us 

 to an extent suiScient to justify the appropria- 

 tion of much space, where space is so precious, 

 it may be well to keep inquiiy alive, as we pro- 

 pose by occasional extracts like the follow- 

 ing, from a late London paper, the Agricultural 

 Gazette. 



To the Editor of the Cork Constitution : 



Sir — I grieve to say that after having close- 

 ly watched the state of the potato gardens be- 

 tween Bristol and London last We^esday, I 

 did not see owe single exception to a total fail- 

 ure — the stalks all decayed and gone. Where 

 it began early, they were as much withered as 

 you would say an uudug garden was in the 

 month of Januaiy after a hard frost. Where the 

 disease lately commenced, the edges of the 

 leaves and the j'oung side shoots wore quite 

 black ; and I understand after this appearance 

 takes place, black streaks are seen mnuing 

 down the stalk, from which it is believed tlie 

 poison is conveyed to the tuber. Having wit- 

 nessed such complete and total failure through 

 a distance of 120 miles. I can readily believe 

 what I have been told, after an anxious inquiry, 

 that the crop is entirely lost in the souUi of Eng- 

 land ; and from my son, %vho arrived here yes- 

 terday from Cambridge, I learn that even north 

 of that county the loss is terrific. I have endea- 

 vored to learn from scientific men Avhat has been 

 the cause, and should the calamity reach Ire- 

 land, ■vvhat ought to be done. In the L'niversity 

 of Cambridso the subject has been well consid- 

 ered, and after the mo.'st strict examination, it 

 cannot be discovered whether it has been caus- 

 ed by animalculoe or fungus; but unfortunately, 

 whatever is the cause, the potato, when the dis- 

 ease has made any head, is poisonous : and this 

 has been proved by pigs ^vhich were before 

 healthy, having died in a few hours after being 

 fed on them ; and I regret to say tliat I was this 

 day informed by a gentleman in the city, a man 

 in business, and of the highest respectability, 

 that two Irishmen had died from eating this per- 

 nicious food. I trust it is not the case, but, from 

 the quai-tcr I heard it. fear there must be some 

 foundation for the report. 



I had a eood deal of conversation last evening 

 with a ven,- scientific medical gentleman here, 

 and he told me the only waj' (as far as he had 

 heard, and believed himself) that the poisonous 

 substance in the di.sea.sed potato could be ac- 

 counted for was. that the plant bcloriired to the 

 Salarium tribe, and as all the berries or fruit of 



the light shade contained poison to a great de- 

 gree, that by some unaccountable change the 

 poLson was conveyed back to the tuber through 

 those black streaks seen running down the stalk, 

 for in all instances they are observed to begin 

 above, and regularly descend to the root. This 

 having been proved to be the fact, my chief ob- 

 ject in addressing you is to point out the only 

 way considered now to he effectual to stay the 

 plague, -ichich is, the day a Jield shows the 

 slightest symptom of disease, to mow down the 

 stalks irith a scythe quite close. To potatoes 

 planted early, I am convinced it can be of no in- 

 juiy, as having now ceased to grow, the tubers 

 will ripen in the ground quite as well as if the 

 stalks remained. I should have mentioned that 

 the first part of the potatoes that shows disease 

 is just inside the skin, but that it soon runs 

 through the entire in brown and black stripes. 

 So much has been published within the last 

 week, of the farina not being injured, I need not 

 take up your time on the subject ; but my own 

 opinion is, that as far as the disease has pene- 

 trated, the farina is gone as well as the other 

 parts. 



I have the honor to be, Sir, voiir obedient sen-'t, 

 J. DILLON CROKER. 

 London, September 13th, 1845. 



From the Bristol Mercury, Sept. 20. 



The following correspondence has ju.st taken 

 place between Lord Fortmau, President of the 

 Royal Agricultural Society, and William Hera- 

 path, Esq., the eminent analytical chemist of 

 this city, in reference to seed potatoes for 1846. 

 His lordship in a subsequent letter requests that 

 the correspondence may be made public, and it 

 has been handed to us by Mr. Herapath for that 

 purpo.se. The subject is of vital importance, and 

 is worthy of the deepest attention : 



" BRYAN.ST0M, Sept. 1.3, 184,5. 



" Sir — I obseive in the newspapers that you 

 have directed your attention to the potato dis- 

 ease, and have advised as to the use of the 

 starch, &c. As I am specially bound, during 

 this year of mj- holding the office of President 

 of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, 

 to promote inquiry and to notify ob.scrvations on 

 subjects relative to the produce of the soil. I 

 trouble you with this letter, and ask if any meth- 

 od has occutTed to you by which the potato may 

 be preserved for the planting of 1846? I have 

 found that potatoes apparently sound and free 

 from the disease, though in a field or garden 

 which has been partially diseased, have, after 

 being stored away, shown signs of the disease 

 and have rotted off": and I fear that the greatest 

 quantity of the potatoes will thus peri.sh, and .so 

 continue the distress of the poor into another 

 season. I have directed some potatoes to be 

 stored in slaked lime, in the hope that it may 

 preserve them, but have, of course, yet had no 

 time to judge of tlie effect. I therefore ask for 

 your opinion, as one of our most eminent chem- 

 ists, upon this point, and would ask leave to 



