1847.] Potato Disease. 339 



the inorganic constituents of the soil or potato were the source of 

 the disease. Mr. Babington referred to the potato stems from 

 Pangbourne. He had examined the roots of these plants, and 

 found that wherever the disease appeared in the leaves there was 

 evidence of disease in the roots. He believed the root or haulm 

 was first at fault. He quite agreed with Mr. Westwood in the 

 necessity of a more general knowledge of natural history. Sir W. 

 Jardine said that chemical investigations of a very accurate nature 

 both of the soil and the potato were being carried on in Edin- 

 burgh. He had found that potatoes grown on moss soil were 

 more free from disease than others. This did not arise from the 

 newness of the soil, for he had had some potatoes entirely spoiled 

 which were planted in an orchard recently turned up. He had 

 seen the stem and root very nmch aifected without the leaves be- 

 ing diseased at all. He was happy to say that in Edinburgh all 

 students of the University were expected to attend the natural his- 

 tory lectures. Mr. Hogan called attention to a method he had 

 pursued of preventing the disease in the potato by growing them 

 from seed. Mr. C. Darwin had brought the seed of the potato 

 from Peru, and the tubers grown from it were quite as much af- 

 fected as any other. Dr. Kelart stated that he had recently heard 

 from Ceylon that the potatoes had been attacked in that island. — 

 A member said that he had just received letters from New Zea- 

 land, and the potato was also affected there[??? Ed.'\ The Rev. 

 N. Young, of New College, exhibited some potato leaves affected 

 by the aphis. 



On the Vitality of Potato-seeds, by John D. Murray, Esq., of 

 Murraythwaite. In 1832 or 1833 a portion of ground in my 

 garden, which produced a crop of potatoes, was trenched to the 

 depth of 18 in., and after bearing various crops for several years 

 aftei', was turned into a ffower-garden, and covered with turf, 

 which was kept regularly mown. After having been kept as a 

 flower-garden for eight or nine years, I this spring turned it into 

 a kitchen-garden, and for that purpose again had it trenched 18 

 inches deep, and sown with Beet-root. About a month ago, when 

 weeding and thinning the Beet-root, I observed that a consider- 

 able number (perhaps 30 plants) of seedling potatoes had sprung 

 up. They were spread irregularly over the whole piece of ground, 

 a few being in the rows with the Beet-root, but the greater part 

 in the intervals between the drills. When I last saw them 

 (about three weeks ago) they were looking very healthy, and ex- 

 hibited considerable variety in the shape of the leaves. I have 

 no doubt that they are the produce of seed from the crop of 1832 

 or 1833, which had been allowed to ripen on the ground, and the 

 seed having been buried 18 inches deep had remained dormant 

 until brought again to the surface by the trenching this spring. 



