160 



The Potatoe Rot 



Vol. X^ 



leaves are yellow, an invariable symptom ot 

 an over cold and damp land ; in situations 

 better drained, as, for example, all along the 

 ditch, the foliage is green, vigorous, and 

 healthy. 



As to cure for this distemper — there is 

 none. We are visited by a great calamity, 

 which we must bear. At the same time, 

 although it is not within human means to 

 alter the course of the season, or to prevent 

 the maladies attendant on them, prudence 

 may perhaps suggest some alleviation of the 

 evlL Should we have fine weather, the dis- 

 ease will probably disappear; should rain 

 and cold continue it will spread. In the 

 latter case, the only thing to be done will 

 be to dig up the crop immediately. Much 

 loss will be thus sustained, and the quality 

 of late potatoes will be bad ; but the loss 

 will be less than to let the potatoes all rot 

 in the cold ground, and we conceive that 

 some of tlie crops will be eatable, though 

 not what could be wished. 



Although the potatoes taken up thus early 

 will suffer in quality from their unripeness, 

 even this evil may be partially remedied by 

 putting them in heaps, consisting of alter- 

 nate layers of dry earth and tubers. In such 

 a situation it is probable that no farther de- 

 cay will take place, and it is certain that the 

 ripening process will continue to proceed, 

 although less effectually tiian under natural 

 circumstances. We may add, that such late 

 potatoes as we have examined are much 

 more advanced toward ripeness than might 

 bo supposed. They are already very full of 

 starch, and their gummy matter is, disappear- 

 ing fast. 



As to the fitness of decayed potatoes for 

 food, we doubt extremely the prudence of 

 using them, if the disease is more than skin 

 deep, so that it may be pared away. Putrid 

 matter of any kind, or even mntter approach- 

 ing putridity, is unfit for being introduced 

 into the stomach, and has very often proved 

 fatal. The Belgian police, acting upon this 

 well known fact, have been destroying the 

 decayed potatoes in the public markets of 

 Antwerp, and they have acted wisely. 



The following letter on this subject, by 

 Mr. Herapath, appeared in the Bristol Mer- 

 cury of the 6th of September: 



"Sir, — My attention has been given lo 

 the disease which has shown itself so ex- 

 tensively among the growing potatoes. I 

 find, in almost every instance, that the epi- 

 dermis of the stalk, below the surface of the 

 ground, is more or less in a state of decay, 

 often disintegrated, and completely rotten ; 

 the leaves and branches accord with the 

 state of that part of the stalk below the 



ground. The tuber beneath the outer skin, 

 is tirst spotted brown — like a bruised apple : 

 these spots extend and penetrate toward the 

 centre, quite changing the nature of the 

 potatoe. Those near the surface are most 

 injured; in some cases the lowest on the 

 root are not at all affected, while the upper 

 ones are useless. I should therefore expect 

 that the longer the crop remains in the land 

 the greater the injury will be. It seems 

 from the microscopic appearance, that the 

 starch escapes injury for a long time after 

 the skin and cellular parts are gone; and as 

 the whole of the nutritive powers of the 

 potatoe reside in the starch, I should recom- 

 mend that wherever the disease has shown 

 itself to any e.\tent, the crop should be dug, 

 whether rijie or not, and the starch extracted 

 by the following simple process: 



"After washing the roots, let them be 

 rasped fine, and thrown into a large tub or 

 other vessel; pour a considerable quantity 

 of water, and well agitate and rub tlie pulp 

 with the hands; all the starch or fecula will, 

 from its great weiglit, fall to the bottom; 

 while the skin and fibrous matter will be 

 carried away by the water; wasji the starch 

 with one or two more waters, allowing it to 

 fiill after each washing; spread it upon cloths 

 in a warm room to dry. In this way about 

 twenty or twenty-one pounds will be ob- 

 tained from every one hundred pounds of 

 potatoes, and it contains as much nourish- 

 ment as the original roots; it will keep any 

 length of time, and might be used with flour 

 to make bread, pies, puddings, &c., as well 

 as farinaceous spoon meat. 



"Thisis much better than tlirowing away 

 the diseased roots, and will furnish food for 

 tens of thousands, who might otherwise want 

 it. William HERArAXH." 



From a Correspondent. 



Arr^jng the potatoes introduced into the 

 London markets, a great proportion, have 

 proved to be affected by the prevalent dis- 

 ease. The roots so attacked give out no 

 peculiar appearance to the eye by which the 

 presence of disease may be indicated, but in 

 boiling, it is at once perceptible, from the 

 dark mass which they present in the inte- 

 rior. The dealers are aware of this, and in 

 many of the poorer districts of the metropo- 

 lis, potatoes were sold on Saturday at 4 lbs. 

 and 6 lbs. for 2d. Whatever may have been 

 the cause, it is certain that externally the 

 disease indicates itself by a fungus or moss, 

 producing a decomposition of the farinaceous 

 interior. It therefore resembles, in many 

 respects, the ergot attacking grain and 

 grasses: which, it was proved at the last 

 i meeting of the British Association at Cam- 



