^52 



GENESEE FARMER. 



Nov. 



Potato Disease. 



Mr Editor : — I have read all that has been 

 published in the present volume of the " Far- 

 mer," (and much besides,) on the subject of the 

 Potato malady, without being satisfied with any 

 of the reasons assigned for it, or any explanation 

 of its nature or cause. I have looked for worms, 

 and have found ihem only in a few instances, 

 and under such circumstances as to induce the 

 belief that they were not the cause, but the efiect 

 of the disease : in other words, that they had 

 been bred in the potatoe afler it was taken from 

 the ground ; or at least, after its decay. All 

 other explanations, as far as I now recollect, as- 

 sign the disease to causes which appear to me to 

 have existed long before the disease was known. 

 Some have ascribed it to a " peculiar state ol 

 the atmosphere" at a " certain stage in the 

 gro.vth of the plant." But how comes it that 

 these two "peculiar" circumstances never exist- 

 ed together till within a few years, and that no\s' 

 they arrive every season ? If they did exist in 

 former years, why did they not produce the same 

 efiect that they now do ? If they did not, in v.'hat 

 do they consist ? Certainly rain, drouth, heat, 

 moisture, &;c., were no uncommon things in 

 summer, long before the potato malady Avas 

 inown. "Avoid cutting, or bruising them, 

 &€.," says one, "at the time of digging," &c. 

 JBut $\,ich precautions were not necessary twenty 

 years ago. " Dry them," says another, " before 

 storing." But in former years they could be 

 transferred from the " hill " to the cellar, or to 

 the " hole," or the pile in the field, and still re- 

 main sound if secured against frost. " Let them 

 be thoroughly ripe," says another. Why now, 

 more than formerly? 



Thus, after reading all the explanations, theo- 

 ries, precautions, &c., the question involuntary 

 arises, " Why then were not our potatoes affect- 

 ed in former years ?" Two theories may be re- 

 garded as exceptions : viz. the "worm" theory, 

 (for which see above,) and that which ascribes 

 the disease to degeneracy, or a decay of vitality. 

 One argument in favor of this theory, is, that 

 decay often commences in the injured part of a 

 tuber, and soon destroys it. We have something 

 analagous to this in the fact, that the wounds oi 

 aged people are not only difficult to be cured, 

 but are often absolutely incurable, and frequent- 

 ly spread, or enlarge till death ensues. In for- 

 mer years, if a potato was cut or injured, (as 

 with the hoe in digging,) a skin, or crust would 

 form over the wound, and the tuber would re- 

 main sound and good. Now, the wound isoften- 

 er the starting place of- the disease. Yet here a 

 difficulty presents itself; the newer varieties, 1 

 am informed, are equally affected with the older. 



I first observed the disease, or the indications 

 of it, the past summer, in the shape of dots, or 

 specks, on the leaves, which gradually enlarged, 

 changed their color, and caused the leaves to ap- 



pear as if drops of hot v.'ater, or some corroding 

 substance had fallen upon them and destroyed 

 their texture. The work of destruction went on, 

 and in a few weeks the tops were neai-ly all de- 

 stroyed, even of the late varieties. (Has any 

 remedy for this stage, or variety, of the disease 

 been found ?) On digging the potatoes in Sep- 

 tember, they were nearly all sound, but had evi- 

 dently been checked in their growth, not being 

 perceptibly larger than when first attacked by 

 the disease. The few that were rotten at the 

 time of digging, and that perished afterwards, 

 exhibited the disease in three forms : 1st, Some 

 were reduced to a soft pulp, emitting a very of- 

 fensive odor. 2d, A few turned black, (or near- 

 ly so,) but remained quite firm, having little 

 odor. 3d, On others the disease first appeared 

 in the form of depressions, or sunken spots, or 

 patches, which gradually infested the whole tuber. 



I have observed what I suppose to be a similar 

 disease among other vegetables. On some of 

 the pods of my Lima Beans I discovered spots, 

 or blotches, resembling those that appeared on 

 the leaves of the potato. These enlarged, but 

 did dot seem to destroy the texture of the pod. 

 I did not leave them, howevei", to ascertain the 

 result. 



The fruit of the red, or bell, pepper has been 

 affected with a similar disease. A small dark 

 spot is first seen, which gradually spreads over 

 the whole. On opening it the inside is found to 

 be black and decayed, (rotten.) On examining 

 my autumn squashes, (the large Marrow, and the 

 Mammoth,) I observed that the stem of the fruit, 

 in some instances, was decayed in part, (I do 

 not know but this may be common with these 

 plants,) and on a subsequent examination I dis- 

 covered that one of the largest squashes was so 

 far decayed on the underside, that a portion of it 

 fell out, emitting an offensive odor. As the up- 

 per portion appeared sound, I proceeded to cut 

 away the decayed part, but found that the dis- 

 ease had spread through the whole. Even the 

 seeds were affected, presenting a watery, instead 

 of a milk-white appearance. Two others on an- 

 other plant I found to be affected in a similar 

 manner. The flesh, which before cutting ap- 

 peared firm, was found to be spongy, or full of 

 little cavities and of a watery-yellow color, as if 

 chilled by frost. The odor was not offensive, 

 though a viscid, slimy substance exuded from 

 Ihem when cut. Both these plants perished pre- 

 maturely. 



The disease then may be the same in all. It 

 appears to be inexplicable, and is perhaps incu- 

 rable. Is there not something analagous to this 

 in the epidemic that has prevailed in this coun- 

 try during the last few years ? (One of your 

 correspondents, I believe, has before suggested 

 this idea.) And may not the one be in the ani- 

 mal world what the other is in the vegetable ? — 

 Sec also the strange disease, thus far incurable,. 



