190 



Professor Morreri's Letter on the Poiatoe Malady. Vol. X. 



content at the old howiestead of their ances- 

 tors, they are found here, and we are proud 

 of their system and their practices, of which 

 they are so tenacious that they survive even 

 in their adopted homes. Their improve- 

 ments give cheerfulness and an air of thrift 

 to our country, and to the scenery around, an 

 appearance of contentment. 



Under this view of the case, we covet the 

 privilege while we read your Cabinet, to 

 contribute something of our Western farm- 

 ing and management, and something to sup- 

 port our interest and that of those who will 

 continue to come among ns. It is to be 

 much regretted, that many among the first 

 and most industrious portion of the eastern 

 population, when coming to this countrj% 

 have, in selecting a home, merely looked for 

 rich land and its advantages for cultivation, 

 and consequently scattered about and settled 

 in any place, where such advantages were 

 to be obtained. So fascinating is the idea 

 of making a new home in the West, and 

 the mind is so much and pleasantly occupied, 

 that many of the greatest and most import- 

 ant advantages are overlooked and neglected 

 until after the first excitement is worn oft', 

 and people are brought to reason by their 

 wants. Now I have seen numerous families 

 and neighbours, who had in their old home 

 been old acquaintances and friends, come 

 into this country together, and instead of 

 settling near each other and forming a 

 neighbourhood of their own, and combining 

 and retaining all their interests, scatter 

 about, at great distances from each other, 

 entirely for the sake of possessing just such 

 a piece of land as pleases them, as though 

 all their interests consisted in such a particu- 

 lar advantage. Let me say to such people, 

 they are not aware how many privileges and 

 pleasures they sacrifice in so doing. Among 

 this community were perhaps mechanics of 

 almost every kind, whose labours would be 

 much needed among themselves. Their 

 little community would have been sufficient 

 to sustain a good school the year round ; to 

 have and support religious meetings, &c. 

 The satisfaction of meeting each other as 

 old neighbours, and reviving the reminis- 

 cences of early days, is one which must add 

 vastly to the comforts of a new settlement, 

 and should not be slightly given up. But 

 all these advantages and combined interests 

 are often sacrificed with hardly a thought, 

 orreflection, until after the location is made. 

 This state of things is just what is apt to 

 render their new homes wretched and ste- 

 rile; the excitement of immigration is soon 

 worn ofl^, and the mind turns to its wonted 

 enjoyments and customs; these are not to 

 be obtained — they are broken — they are an. 



nihilated; and they are comparatively, but 

 fe\w who have the firmness to stand this. 

 They become uneasy and discontented, sell 

 out, and are nearly broken up in conse- 

 quence. Now, the idea of immigration in 

 itself is well enough, — it is just what politi- 

 cal economy requires; especially among the 

 young and the more enterprising portion of 

 the people. But let me as an old friend, ad- 

 vise all, when you immigrate in company 

 with a portion of old neighbours and friends, 

 try to make a settlement together — do not 

 let a little fancy about just such and such a 

 piece of land, separate you. Consider that 

 land alone is but poor company, without 

 some one to help you enjoy it, and to sym- 

 pathise with you and assist you in affliction 

 and trouble. Remember this too; whoever 

 comes into the West, must of necessit}^ 

 sooner or later experience some sickness, by 

 way of acclimation; and not unfrequently 

 this is the case in harvest time, and if it 

 should be yourself, the head of the family 

 that is sick, how much will you need your 

 neighbours' help to save 3'our crops ; or if it 

 is your wife, how desirable to be within 

 reach of tried friends and neighbour.*. 



A. Stoa'e, M. D. 



Lake County, Indiana, Dec ]2tl), J845. 



From the Louisville Weekly Journal. 



Prof. Blorren's Letter on the Potaloe 

 Malady. 



M. INIcRREN, after stating that the evil 

 had prevailed in Belgium for several years, 

 though to a far less alarming degree than 

 at present, proceeds : 



" The real cause of the evil is a fungus, 

 or sort of mushroom, which the learned will 

 classify under the genus lofrydis — but which 

 agriculturists, witiiout further specifications, % 

 will call a spot, a blemish, or blotches. This 

 mushroom is of extreme tenuity, but it breeds 

 amazingly, and reproduces itself by thou- 

 sands. Its stems are formed of little, straight 

 hollow threads, which bear on their summits 

 one or more branches, always divided into 

 two, and at the end of these branches repro- 

 ductive bodies are found, which have the 

 form of eggs, but which are scarcely the 

 hundredth part cf a millimelre in size. It 

 will be said that this is a very small body to 

 do so much mischief; but I answer that the 

 iich is not a disease the less to be feared, 

 because the acare which produces it can be 

 seen only by the aid of the microscope. 



"After the formation of the yellow spot, 

 and the developement of the bolrydis on the 

 leaf of the potatoe, the stalk receives tbe 

 deleterious influence. Here and there its 

 epidermis turns brown, blackens, and, fol- 

 lowing with the microscope the phases of 



