Qi[)t i'arincr's ittotitl)Iij llisitor. 



163 



iich glasses. It is ibe custom tliere toplaiitou 

 c.uilifioweis in the fall, and to cover tlieni, iu se- 

 vere weallier, during winter, ivitli hauil-glasses. 

 A liand-glass may, in A|jril, he put over a liot-bed 

 made witli a a-lieel-hiin-ow fall of diux'^. It would 

 I. ring on caliliage-|ilants lor two or three gardens. 

 It is handy lo sow things under in the natural 

 ground, in the spring, especially flowers that are 

 10 he transplanted : lor, on the nutiiral ground, it 

 adds to the heat iu the da^v, and keeps oft' cold 

 and slight frost in the night. Air is given, by 

 putting a brick, or bit of wood, under one of the 

 sides of ill© hand-glass. 



Compost Manure. 



Mr. Breck, editorof the New England Fanner, 

 in giving an account of the Farming Operations 

 of Mr. Murray, the intelligent superintendent of 

 Mr. J. S. C. Green's estate, iu Waltham, thus des- 

 cribes his uiode of making, compost : 



Mr. iMurray appeajs to uu^Uustand the great 

 .secret of success in agricultural pursuits — which 

 is, economy in saving and com|)ostlng, and the 

 right application of manures ; this should not be 

 a secret to any one, anil we know it is not to 

 nnmy of our farmers, yet tliere are some, who, if 

 we may judge from the manner in which they 

 suffer the materials for making the compost to 

 waste on their jiremises, we are constrained to 

 believe are yet unacquainted with llie important 

 secret. 



Take the article of urine, for instance, and bow 

 much is lost to many iudividuals,,for vvantofcare, 

 in saving and applying it, and bow immensely 

 great, taking it in the aggregate, for our Stale 

 alone. Thoso who are acq^nainted> with the value 

 of cow urine, assert that it is fully equal to the 

 solid excremeuls, and of this we have no doubt; 

 then if the value of solid excrements is worth Sti 

 jjer year, nadliply the number of neat stock in 

 the State by that sum, und; some a|iproach may 

 be made to the value of an article much of whiiili 

 is now lost. 



On the lin-ni iinde-r notice, the uriiie from the 

 cattle is all saved and conveyed to. a cistern un- 

 derneath the stable, that holds about nine hogs- 

 beads. The floor of the stable is sprinkled with 

 gypsum after the cattlebave been turned out and 

 the stalls cleaned. T)ie solid manure is thrown 

 into the cellar below which is accessible lo the 

 hogs. The juanner iu which the urine is dis- 

 posed of is as follows: As often as the cistern is 

 filled, a lot of well pulverized meadow mud, or 

 peat, which bad been exposed a year, containing 

 eighteen common cart-loads, is made into a broad 

 flat bed, with the sides raised up, so as to retain 

 the liquor; into this basin the contents of the 

 mine cistern are discharged ; as the liquor soaks 

 into the peat, six bushels of gi'oimd plaster is 

 spread over the surface to.fix the ammonia ; the 

 whole bed is then thrown into a compact form, 

 four or five feet high; slakes are thrust down 

 into the middle of the bed, that same idea may 

 be formed of the temperature of the beat from 

 time to time, which is examined often that the 

 mass may not get overheated and burnt, as it may 

 be very much injured or be made nearly worth- 

 less; by withdrawing Ihe stake, an experienced 

 person will ascertain very nearly the state of ilio 

 bed by the beat of the stake ; but this is not left 

 to uncertainty ; a thermometer is inserted in the 

 hole repeatedly, and when it indicates 90 degrees, 

 the fermentation is deemed sufficient: the heap 

 is then shovelled over, and spread a little, and 

 having remained a week in this stale, is ready 

 for application, or to be put under cover for future 

 use. Compost from night soil is maile in ihe 

 same way. We saw a number of beds of jieal 

 prepared for the reception of this valuable ma- 

 nure, which is delivered from the night carts at 

 S3 per load. Mr. Murray is particular not to have 

 the heat in his manure heaps exceed 80 or 90 

 degrees, an<l when properly prepared, they will 

 retain a moderate beat of. 50 or tiO degrees through 

 the winter. 



, brmg up from I>enea6b, as far as ihelr rcots ex- 

 lend, those substances which are ii:?eful lo. vege- 

 tation, and retain them in their leaves and stems. 

 By ploughing iji the whole plant we restore ta 

 the .surface what had sunk to a gre.nter or less 

 depth, and thus make it more fertile than before 

 the green crop was sown. This manuring is 

 performed wiih the least loss by the use of vege- 

 tables in tJie green stale. By allowing them lo 

 decay in the open air, there is a loss of organic 

 and inorganic malter; if they be converted into 

 fernjented (farm yard) rjiaiune, there is also a 

 large loss — and the same is the case, if they are 

 employed in (ceding stock, with a view to their 

 conversion into maiuue. In no other form can 

 the same crop convey to the soil an equal amount 

 of enriching matter, as in that of green leaves 

 and stems. Where the first objec-f, therefore, in 

 the farmer's practice is so to use his crops as to 

 enrich his land, he will soonest eftect it by jilough- 

 ing tbeni in in the green state." 



Green Crops. — The ploughing in of green 

 crops is an old practice that has long been recom- 

 mended. It has been more practised in Europe 

 than in the United States. 



Professor Johnston says, " the ploughing iu of 

 green vegetables at the spot where ibey have 

 been grown, may be followed as a method of 

 manuring and enriching all lands, where other 

 manures are less abundant. Growing plan's 



The Disease in Potatoes. 



To THE Editor of the N. E. Farmer. — Not, 

 having seen any commnnicalion olijecling to the 

 views I have taken of the cause of the disease in 

 the potato, and which subsequent examinations 

 have only tended to confirm in my own mind, I 

 resume the investigation of the sitbject. The re- 

 sults 1 now ofter lo you for publication. I have 

 first to notice the idea that this disease arises 

 liom, worms which are found in the decayeil 

 potato — aiu!; remark, 



1st, that the worms are the same which are 

 found iu all rotten potatoes, from whatever caiise 

 the decay may arise. 



2d, the |)otalo decays previous to the woims 

 appearing, for the worms are never found in the 

 sound part of the potato, eating their way in or 

 <leposiling their eggs, nor have I ever seen the 

 worms in that part of the potato in. which the 

 fungus has already commenceil vegetating; it is 

 otdy in the most rotten part that the worma exist, 

 after the fungus has caused Ibis decay. 



3d, s;ilt instantly kills the worms, as any one 

 may satisfy themselves, with the assistance of the 

 common compound microscope. 



Under the ftdl impiession of the existence of 

 the fungus in the potato, two questions present 

 themselves — 



Jst, Is the fungus the ca'ise of the decay, or 

 merely a growth on the tuber already diseased 

 from some other cause ? — and 



2d, When and iu what part of the plant the 

 disease originates, and how. is it propagated and 

 dissetuiiuited ? 



The probability is that the fmigus is the cause 

 of the disease — for Ihe fundus appears on the 

 skin of the potato, aiu.1 can be traced by its gra- 

 dually dark color iieuetrating from the outside by 

 degrees into the soimd inside, the oiUsLde fungus 

 developing itself first, and producing ^lime and 

 rotteimess, v;hile the inside yet remains fii-m and 

 sound. If the fungus residled from the potato 

 first becoming rotten, aiul thus fojuiing Civorable 

 circumstances for its vegetation, then the pre^ 

 sumption is that we should occasionally, although 

 perhaps rarely, find parts of the potato rotten 

 without the fungus, which I, at least, have never 

 yet seen. I have often seen heaps of rotten po- 

 tatoes, without ever before observing this pecu- 

 liar fungus, which, on acconiu of its smell, can- 

 not be mistaken. If this was therefore a liisease 

 merely afteciiug the rotten potato and not the 

 somul one, it woidd have been long ago and 

 nuich more often observed. Dr. Wallroth, an 

 excellent German botanist, who appears lo have 

 closely studied the fungus family, observes in the 

 Liniica, (a botanical periodical published iu Ger 

 many, ) vol. ](>, for 1842, that he has ascertained 

 the disease called there the Potato scab, or wort 

 — a kind of swelling or tumor, ending in rotten- 

 ness — to be a species of subterranean fmigus, 

 which he calls Erisyhe subterranca, and of which 

 he gives a long scientific de.scription. lam not suf- 

 ficiently versed in this subject, to decide whether 

 this ilescription agrees exactly with the disease 

 at i)resent imder disciissio'i, but it appears to me 

 lo diftiir in several particulars, 



The second question, as to the origin and pro- 

 pagation of this (iingus, is one vvbioh presents 

 great difficidlies in its solution. These arise 

 partly from the knowledge of the propagation of 

 the fungus family being yet in its infancy, and 

 partly from the want of meauB of pursuing the 



study of this microscopic subject properly. From 

 the almost universal accounts of the tops of tho 

 plants having fij-st died down, and thus indicated 

 the disease, it lias suggested itself to me, even if 

 this fmigus is really a subterranean species, 

 whetiier it has not been prop.igaled. and dissemi- 

 nated by spores floating in the atmosphere and 

 attaching themselves lo thes()//A: of the potato, on 

 that wegeiating and extending themselves down- 

 wards until they reach the point of junction wilb 

 the tidier, there producing decay and the death 

 of the upper part of the vegetable, and afterwards 

 digseminaling themselves through the tuber. 



A parallel lo this probably exists in the mu^A- 

 raom, a fungus which is naturally produced from 

 horse droppings, when by lieing kept dry for a 

 considerable time, they have arrived at a favor- 

 able slate for the developement of the sporee. 

 These spores have probably attached themselves 

 to tbe stems of the hay which has been eaten by 

 the horse, have passed through its stomach and 

 remained in an inert state, until fiivorable circiun- 

 stances have produced their developement in 

 the droppings. 



l regret, that I had not commenced this inves- 

 ti^alion early, etipugh to have examined the stalk 

 andils junction, with tbe tuber, with the micros- 

 cope, on the first appearance of its drooping, a» 

 all the proof now to be expected from experi- 

 ments, can only be of a negative character : how- 

 ever, here are such results as I have obtained — 



1st. One of these much diseased potatoes was 

 cut in halves; each half was placed on half a 

 sound potato, in perfect contact, placed under a 

 bell glass in a damp, dark atmosphere, tempera-. 

 tiire 57 lo 62. In five days tbe sound potato was 

 not in tbe slightest degree contaminated with the 

 fungus or the worms. 



2di A, whoJe diseased potato, covered with 

 black spots, was (daced under a glass, in the same 

 circunjstauces as experiment No. ], in contact 

 with a whole sound potato. The 5lb day the 

 sonnet potato remained, ujicantaminated and vvitUn 

 out worms, 



3d. A whole aiid much diseased potato was 

 buried 2 inches below the soil, which was damp 

 but not wet.. A sound potato was buried in the 

 same soil, 2 1-2 inches distant from it, tempera- 

 ture kept as before — 57 to (i2. In 5 days thi.s 

 latter remained quite sound. 



U is possible that 5 days is not long enough ; 1 

 have therefore left them all in the same state, 

 and shall not touch them fiir 3 or 4 weeks. 

 Should any change take place, I will inform you. 



As I do not seek to establish any favorite 

 theory, I trust my remarks may incite lo observa- 

 tion, and luovoke discussion, and jirovided the 

 practical and, useful truth on this subject be dis- 

 covered, 1 do not care much whether it is by my- 

 self or by otli.i^rs. 



J. E. TESCHEMACHER. 



The Artichoke. 



Several trials which we have known made 

 with this root, indicate that it is one of the most 

 valuable for slock, which can be cultivated. A 

 few years ago a gentleman of our aciiuaintance 

 .planted a small patch of rich ground with them. 

 The produce was at the rate of 1,200 bushels per 

 acre. They were principally harvested by bogs, 

 which were tUrneal in and allowed to root them 

 up as their appetite piouniled, Tliey gained 

 well with no other food, while the artichokes 

 lasted. A groat advantage of this root is, that it 

 will lie in the ground willioiu injury all winter. 



Mr. Thomas Noble, of Massillon, gave us a 

 brief account of a trial with articbokes, made by 

 him the past season. In April, 1843, he [ilanted 

 two acres with this vegetable. The ground was 

 of medium quality. The artichokes were planted 

 in rows 2J to 3 feet apart — using a little more 

 seed than is commonly used in planting potatoes. 

 As soon as the frost was out of the ground last 

 spring, (1844,) the digging of them was begun 

 and continued as the slock required. The pro- 

 duce of the two acres was 1500 bushels. They 

 were fed principally to sheep, though some were 

 given to cattle, horses, and hogs. All animals 

 ate them well, seeming to prefer them to turnips. 

 While t!ie sheep were being fed w ith them, they 

 were pastured on growing wheat and clover. 

 The shepherd thought the wheat ami clover was 

 sufficient for them, as there was a bill " bile," and 

 he accordingly discontinued the arlichokcs. The 

 ewes "fell off" in their milk, and the Inmha soon 



