82 



lighter s(rils will lulmil of ileppcr phiiniiig lli.iii 

 weitur iiiul licaviiT. j\o cio|i miIIVis piiiiri! Irciiii 

 an excess olvviin'r tlinii llie poiainc. \V;ili;r IV( in 

 lieiivy niii.s .-■tiintlinj; jri tlie liclil lin- nny (•(insiil- 

 ei'iililfi time, in tinn^ (<• work iin injury t/nli'ss llie 

 roois Dt'lliB plant iLi'L' knpt ulinvo; its learli. J5\ 

 e:irly pl.-nnini.', lie mtii t lioin llie Isl In tlif) ]5iii 

 (if iVIay ill tliis kiiiniilo. Tlie fr<i|i suffers I'nmi 

 dron^lil if it (iccins ;;l.oiit llie lime the piiiiUne 

 liegins ti> rorm. Tlii^ is ;is liUfly to ovcrUilic tin- 

 eiirly pliintei) iis the later; lint it" this is fson|ie(l. 

 the e;n ly plwntiiij;' is surp-^t IVir a ■;reat yield and 

 good qnidil). Vun aio nut likrly n ;.'et a fnily 

 ripe polaloo (ioin lli • top ihat has lieeii killi'd hy 

 the tall frost. The j.olalof-j planted shoiddlieof 

 good size and not rut into small pieces. The seed 

 P'li ill the liill form.s the eapiial for the plant to 

 coiTimence linsiiiess upon. .Yoii miyht .-.s well 

 ex]>eet a vijiorous hlads of wheat or corn from a 

 small and uiihered jtrtin, a.a a slronj; plant fioiu 

 a .small potatue. This crop shonld not ho put two 

 sueres-sive. years upon the same ground. Jii san- 

 dy loam he had known the crop to fall off half 

 the second year, wil.i the same Ireatment and as 

 good a season, e.\op])t ihat the first crop was upon 

 a newly iiniied sod. 



!Mr. Ra!\som Cook, of Saratoua, A^ent for the 

 newly priijccled Slaie Prison, remarked, lliat he 

 had not recenlly lic.n en^ia'ied in airicnllmal 

 pursuits, and his infi.rniillon oii this suliject had 

 lieen piincip.dly ohlamfd in an-^wer lo eiirpiiries. 

 In the immediale mTrjIdioi hood of his residence 

 (SMralOH;a Spring's) very liiile if any loss had been 

 suffered hy litis disease. The soii was ilry and 

 sandy. One inle||i,joiit farmer informed him that 

 on hiso\M) fiirni, where the soil was porous, he 

 lost none of a crop yiehiiiij; aboni 2,000 Inishels; 

 while of a field he j-urchased on a neijildioriup 

 farm, heton- di:;i;in_'. where ilie soil svas clayey 

 and retained ninidi i.alcr, he lost ihe jjrealer part 

 of the cro"p. Anoihrr intlirmed him lliat where 

 lie pl,,nied the same jcind of potatues in two fielris 

 of different soils, with Imt one [lay's difference as 

 to time, those upon a dry soil were uuinjuiefl, 

 while he loslahoiii oie hrdf (d' those jrrown upon 

 the wet s«il. Mr. C. remarked iliat aliliouL-h 

 planted at the same lime, those upon the weisuil 

 would he later in coming' lo matin ily, and it was 

 believed hy Hie owne •, that tlioy wnx- injured liv 

 a very warm liill rain, before emirely ripe. 



Mr. C. said in co'iclusii.ii, ihai from what infor- 

 niation he In.d been ib!e lo iiIiN ill on this sub- 

 ject, it was ihe opinion of funiers in his coiml\, 

 that the injiirv to the polaloe crop the |iast sea- 

 Son, was priduced liv a warm rain, followed liv 

 warm wealher, and ii;,on potatoes not fully ripe, 

 or those in soils retaiiiiii;; much water. 



Mr. Youngs, of the As?eniblv, from Qneeiis 

 connly, m relation to the (pi.^slio'ii of Ihe Piesi- 

 dent of the Slate tiocielv, •' whether potatoes 



^l)e Jjgimcr'G illivatl)ln llisitor. 



oundand heallhy wh.;n dn-, bad snlisl-oiieniK' 

 become diseased." n-nuked thai some poiaioes 

 planted m his viciniiy ihe la.-t sea.Miii, u|,en dii", 

 were ajipareuily s..imd ; and that bell.re bi~leav- 



•"!^ ' 'R III December last, be a>ce.n.inp.l iu 



sorting one cask coiit.-.ininf; ei-hi bii.shels.rbat six 

 bushels oi ibeui uere eomphtelv rotien. Jii re 

 lation lo the qiiesiion which has heeii raised as to 

 the .soil best adapir.l ,o the puialoe.and llie qii.-,|- 

 iiy of the seed, lie rcmarkoJ, that the .s,,il ,,f i|,e 

 section ol country lie repie-ieiiled, (\,ui,-r Island ) 

 is maii-rially dlfferenr Irmii that of anv lillier por- 

 tion ot liie state, hiiii:: pri;>eip„|lv a "liMit .<and 

 which IS not admitted bv aH lo be Iw-sl" a.lapled' 

 to the !iro>ul, „(■ the poiatoe. The potatoes ol 

 Loll- Island are iieuvrally of a mealv rbaraeter 

 anil superior qualit;. ; one sirikhi!.' evidence ol 

 lliat laei ,s thai they will frequemlv sell In the 

 Wew \ ork market fo ■ 50 cents per bnsm't, when 

 the Couneclirni poia oe, j.r..wn upon a more loa- 

 my soil IS selling on.y fur 31J cents. i>, f.,,eak- 

 liig ol the ihsease amcnjr potatoe.^, |,e would ,sav 

 that he was not aware of aiiv parlicnhir disease 

 ahhonj-li the polatue ; of Qneeos coimtv, the pasj 

 season, were ,.r inlerioiipialiiv, and (bnin.. ,[,,. 



'""' 'Ii-- larj;e.|Uaiiliti s ot'ihem rolleil, rvhich 



was fieiierally attrih.m ,1 t,, rhe unfavorable sea- 

 sou. It will be recollected Ihat we had i:n r.Vn, 

 dnnnirili,- w|,ole moflh of June, and that pota- 

 toes which were no: ..lateriully affecte.l by the 

 dron^ht were sonn,;, and our only good i,o"laloe. 

 VVe find ,t alio,rei|„r preferable io plant our po- 

 tatoes v,.ry early c- v. ry lalo. Those planted ns 

 8.onastl,ehost.vdl „en„i,, are decidedly the 

 oost, u!ul It will be i.,olltcicd that u iouii- and 



'vi;rorDiis plaiifis not as easily kilkd by the frosl, 

 as one that is mature and ripe. Theeaily planted 

 potaloe iieis IIS pi iiici|ial growth beline ihe beat 

 of mid'Suminer, whlidi n>iially hriiiys with it dry 

 wealln r, a sure cheek lo all vegelalioii. I'lie po- 

 laioe planted in inid-scason,,(<ir Jale in the inoiiih 

 of May,) IS usually (ducked by the scorching sun 

 and dion;;hiof mid-summer (July and A»i;;nsi) 

 from which it never recovers, and the conse- 

 ipience is, small size, lij>ln prodin'e, and inlei ior 

 pialiiy. Those plaiili-d late in the season, liirm 

 and maliire as the weather lleco^K^s more eoid, 

 and the growth being more rapid, the pniatoe is 

 larger and the produce gre;.ter than the early 

 planted potatoe, but the fla\or and ricliuess is not 

 as good, a loo rapid growth not being •congenial 

 lo the potatoe. 



Ill lelaiion to the mode of cultivation (said Mr. 

 Youngs,) we take a fiehj where com was grow ii 

 the preceding year,nud now prepared for oats or 

 barley, in which a portion is reserved for pota- 

 toes, wliiidi is ploughed iu drills about three lt;el 

 apart, in which drills is placed adibend qiiamily 

 of stable or barn yard manure, as is always re- 

 quired ill culiivating our laud. The potatoes are 

 luen diop|ied about ten inches apart; \\n then 

 plough a furrow on each side of the diill, cover- 

 ing lip the manure.: the surface is left in this 

 rough stale iiniil the sprout is about appearing 

 at the siirffCe ; wiihes of hickory are then wuuiid 

 among the leelli ol'a harrow, with which the Held 

 is harrowed length-wise of ihe drills, which par- 

 tially levels ihe snrliice and kills the weeds ; nfler 

 the vine is well above the ground, we plough and 

 hoe; before the vine is iu full blossom, we again 

 plough, and with the hoe hill up the rows. No- 

 ihii g further is done until h.irvesting, which is 

 accomplished by ploiighiim each drill leiiglh-wise 

 which leaves the |iriueipal poilion ot'tlie potatoes 

 on the snrliice to be giithereil hy the boys. After 

 which, we harrow ihe field ami pick up Ihe bal- 

 ance of the crojj, which we are careful lo prolecl 

 from rains or «el, and have boused the same day 

 as gatbercd. Iu relation tii the set-d, we tiiid the 

 potatoe deireiierales* like all (itiiev veielaiioii, 

 with the e.iceplioii of weeils. Afier cullivaiiiig 

 one vaiielN' a few years, it is found ih.ti the vine.^ 

 lose their vigor, ilie potatoes of Iih-s size, the pro- 

 duce imndi smallec. A lew years since, the mo^i 

 (dioice variety was a yellowish potatoe, called 

 the " Enulish while," then the celebiateil '■ Kid- 

 ney or Pdole polaioe," then the '■ Pink-eye,'' and 

 now ihe " fiercer". ifsihe tmivetsal liivoriie. 



Professor Emmons, of the GiM>lo!;ical Survey, 

 remarked that the disease of the poiatoe, as shou n 

 by the microscope, is located in the cellnai tissue.. 

 The starch grannies do not appear to be affected 

 at first, nor until ibe disease has existed llirsome 

 time. The disease ilsell is a true gangrene — -cimi- 

 mciicilig ill ihe cebiiar tissue at numerous poiiiis 

 nil finally the whole becmiies involved in it. The 

 skill preserves its soundness l(>r a hmif liuK^afn-r 

 the re.-t of ihe potatoe isdestroyeiL — 'I hrei! cans 

 es may be assij;ued lor this decay: ]. Rapid 

 iirowib, pr^iuioled by high teinperalure and iit'ich 

 rain j.isial the period of ii|ieuiiiL': 2. Consiiiii- 

 liiMial dica_\ of the seed fnoii age: 3. The naliiri' 

 of the soil, together with laie planting. [Mind, 

 evirleiice Was addiic-d, said Professor E.iiM(V\s. 

 lo ,-liow Ihat potatoes, upon a clay soil espi'cially. 

 it'. planted late, were or ba\'e been p.irlieularly 

 subject lo the disease — uliile lho.se wbiidi were 

 p'aitliMl on a sandy soil, and were ripe when 

 :;alheied, have luil been wholly free from di.sease. 

 iBul the exiierience of ihe S|ieakeis geiieridly on 

 this occasion enforces the posiiion thrl early 

 planting in a dry s.iiidy loam preseios ihe great- 

 est secnriiy liom future attacks .of the disease. 



The liiels and alignments at this meeling, il 

 may he seen by thi< absir.ict of discussion, did 

 notjiisiliy a snpnosirion ili.Mt ihe theory of "Enru- 

 peaii writers respecting the alleged degeneracy 

 of certain kinds of potatoes, is anywise applica- 

 ble here, so fill- as the lo.<ses of lasl _\ear are c(m. 

 C(;riied. So fjir as the loss being occasioned here 

 by file "degeneracy" of certain varielies of poia- 

 ioes, it is iu proof that many of the best crops 

 were re;dlzrd lianu the ohlesl varieties. The naot 

 hardy liinds, it seems, lia\'e been least iriTt'Cled ; 

 and Ihe least hardy, such as the .Mercer or Che- 

 nango, Foxiie, &c., have suffered most. It was 

 nearly tlie mianimoiis opinion of those wdio spoke 

 oil the snbjecl. lb,it the prevalence of lie- defect 

 or "dis":'>e" of lasl year, was c; used by llie ve- 

 ry warm aiiij wet weather, lbllui\inj; a severe and I 



long-coutiniied dronghl. The proofs on this sub- 

 ject, furnished by-several speaker-, were, thai po- 

 tatoes which were planted on dry soil, and so 

 eaily that lliev reaidied matiirily before the pe- 

 iniliar weather alluded to, were scarcely affected 

 at all ; wli<-ieasthesame varielies |ilanied Liter 

 .mil beiiiL' in an imiiialnre state when the change 

 look place, were seriously affected when haivesl- 

 eil, or rolled dmiiiL' the wiiiier. The prevalent 

 opinion (d" the ineeiiiig was, that the best mode, 

 under any circiimslaiiccs, consisted in planting 

 the best kind of seed at the earliest period when 

 the ground is in suitable coniliiion — the \ield 

 lienerally proving belter, while the crop is less 

 liable to blight or defect of any kind. 



BIoRSF.'s Magnk.tic Tfleghaph. — This great 

 enlei|)rize is now completed froiii Washington 

 to 15 dtlmore, ami is in successful operation. | 

 While we were iu Wasliingtou, through the kind- 

 ness of a genlleman lo wlioiii we bad the plea- 

 sure of carryin;; letters, we were enabled to wit- 

 ness the operation of the Telegraph, and we 

 dpslj;ned, wlieii the sketches of travel which we 

 intended to publish, reached Washington, to give 

 a more liill acconiu of it than we have ever yet 

 seen. Its completion making it the subject of 

 coniiiion remark, il is a favorable time to do so 

 now. 



Along llie line of failroad to Ballimoro, are ex- 

 tended two wires, elevated upon posts, sotne 

 twenty feet high. The altem|iis was first made 

 by c irryiiii the wire iimbir groinid, hut that fail- 

 ed and the present mode has been adopted, with 

 the most perfect success. Upon one of these 

 wires messages are conveyed one way and upon 

 the oilier, the other. In Professor .Mor.se's room 

 in the Capitol was a m ichine very simple in its 

 appearance, a prominent feature in which was 

 a roll of white paper a (ijot or more in diameler, 

 and an inch and ,i half wide — or thick. A sim- 

 ilar machine was also at the other eiiil of the 

 wire.". This strip of paper pa.sses through two 

 drawing rolls, so that when the machine is in 

 motion it is drawn slowly oft! Upon this paper 

 a litilc. kind of huomifr with points which would 

 make a dot or a mark, accordim; lo the time it is 

 held loit, is made to act, the tnniion beiuL' given 

 to il by Ihe lines upon which the return message 

 is made, with wliiidi it is comiei-ted, and every 

 motion made at the oiber end of the wire, is an- 

 -swereil at this. In this way the condilclor at 

 the other end holds the end of ihe wire in bis 

 hand, and slrikini.' it in a lillle cup of mercury, 

 a shock is cnmmmiichted lo ibis end, which act- 

 ing upon the iiliie hi miner makes a dot, or a mark 

 npiui l!ie p.iper. accordini.' lo the leii;;ili of time 

 the wire is heldinlbe mercury, tiie immber of 

 dots or the iiiarll represeiiiing the letters of the 

 alphabet, llilis. A. a siiiule dot (.), P. three (...), C 



two and one (.. .), D a rk and a dot (- .), and 



so oil. C^niveisalioii fs-t-arried on like this. We 

 were there on the riioriiiiig .Mi. Spencer resii.'n- 

 ed. Proli-ssor Morse gave the .siijnal that he had 

 something lo coriiiiumicale. Almost as quick 

 asMiiicoiiM wink, the sisrual ihat his assistant 



ilieii 23 mile 



dV was ready, was returned. - 



Professor ;V1. 1 hen taking ■the end id' the other 

 wire began iiippiiiL' il iu R'iie mercury, merely 

 siickiii!r il in. or boldiiiL'^it a longer or shorter 

 lime, I bus indicating the letters snel ling the words 

 " Mr. Spencer has resi:;ned." The conductor at 

 ihe oilier end then L'ave a signal that le- would 

 answer. The sisrual was returned. Professor 

 M. then removed a liuleslick which held the ma- 

 chine from going, anil it immediately started, the 

 p.iper running slowly off The reply was then 

 reimned in the same manner — every motion at 

 the oilier end beiiu; answered by a correspond- 

 in:.' mark nuoii the paner, which Prof. M. decy- 

 pheri'd as it r,in oft', tliii--, '"Mr. Spencer — that is 

 had." The coiumon iumres-ion |b:,t "questions 

 and Biiswersare ciurveyed quii ker than tli('ii;;bt" 

 is nut correct. A mere Sinn d may be e.vehin<r- 

 ed just as quick as two men staiidiu': siile by 

 side, can each inaive n irioinni, one lollixviug the 

 other — bill queslioiis and answers cannot he coii- 

 veved .'■■o quick as two men would ordinarily ex- 

 1 bailee the same words if they were obliged to 

 wi'ile theiM, because every word mu^l be spelled 

 out., and by a slower process than ordinary wri- 

 ting. It is one of the simph'st, aiuF yet one of 

 the most iiiL'eiiinus contrivances ever made, ami 

 must he oC incalciilihle aihauliiie in a ihonsand 

 wajs. One ilisud vantage in ha»iiig it af.ovd 



