No. 8. An Experiment uith diseased Potatoes. 



-Filtering. 



241 



possible at 50s. per quarter — which, regard- 

 ing the greater value of money in tlio?e 

 days, would probably be about equal to iST^s. 

 the quarter at the present time. Shortly 

 after the commencement of the last great 

 war the pivot was raised, and when the 

 price was below G:3s. per quarter, the duty 

 on foreign wheat was 30s. .3^/., falling to 

 Ihd. when the price reached GGs. Tliese 

 duties were advanced soon afterwards, and 

 in 181.5, Mr. Robinson succeeded in passing 

 an act absolutely prohibiting the importation 

 of foreign wheat until the price in our mar- 

 kets had been, for three consecutive months, 

 above 80s. per quarter. Another law was 

 passed in 1822, prohibiting the importation 

 of foreign wheat when the prices were at or 

 under 70s. per quarter; admitting it when 

 between 70s. and 80s. at a duty of 12s.; 

 when between 80s. and 85s., at a duty of 

 ba.; and when above 85s. at a duty of Is. 

 This law, hou-ever, never came into effect, 

 as it was provided that its operation should 

 be delayed until wheat rose above 60s. per 

 quarter, which did not occur before another 

 alteration took place. Early in 1827, Mr. 

 Canning brought forward a series of resolu- 

 tions for the purpose of forming them into a 

 corn law. He proposed a sliding scale, 

 nearly similar to the one afterwards carried 

 by the Wellington cabinet, and which re- 

 mained in force until Sir Robert Peel's bill 

 in 1842, which now regulates the admission 

 of foreign corn. — English Paper. 



An Experimeut with diseased Potatoes 



The New Enc>land Farmer copies the 

 following from the London Agricultural Ga- 

 zette : 



I have gi'eat satisfaction in giving the 

 result of an experiment that I have insti- 

 tuted here, amongst others, which has proved 

 in every w^ay effectual in stopping the pro- 

 gress of the disease ; and if the disease has 

 not gone so far as to have affected the whole 

 of the skin, or outside of the potatoe, and 

 consequently destroyed all the eyes, will 

 render them safe to be used as sets for a 

 future crop. 



The potatoes were carefully sorted, keep- 

 ing the sound ones separate from those that 

 were diseased, some of the latter being so 

 bad that their whole surface was affected 

 with it, and a tally put to each sample, de- 

 noting their particular condition. A quan- 

 tity of the common quick-lime of this neigh- 

 bourhood being put into a large shallow tub, 

 water was added in the proportion of about 

 three gallons to every stone — 14 lbs. — of 

 iime, and well mixed ; the potatoes were 

 put into a wire riddle, and just dipped into 



the mixture, keeping it well stirred, until 

 all were done. This was in November: a 

 few of each sample were put into a hot- 

 "louse, to see what effect the lime had on 

 their eyes. Tiiey soon became excited, 

 burst through the lime, and produced vigor- 

 ous sprouts. A few of each were also boiled, 

 but their flavor was not in the least affected. 



The effect of the lime is evidently to ar- 

 rest the disease at once, by its powerful 

 caustic or antiseptic property, and it absorbs 

 from the tubers the superabundant moisture 

 which they contain, and consequently pre- 

 vents further decomposition. Having fre- 

 quently examined them, I can confidently 

 assert that the disease has not made any 

 progress whatever since the application. 

 They were affected with the disease in 

 every stage of its progress, between the 

 sound and rotten potatoe, and in every case 

 it has proved effi^ctual in stopping it, as is 

 easily seen when they are cut; while those 

 of the same sorts, not subjected to the pro- 

 cess, and placed exactly under the same cir- 

 cumstances, show every sign of progressing 

 decomposition, and some have entirely rot- 

 ted. 



The advantage and importance of this 

 remedy, are, therefore, very great, as the 

 diseased potatoes are rendered fit for sets. 

 I shall have no hesitation in planting them 

 in the spring for a general crop, and in fact, 

 intend them for this use. 



I would strongly recommend the process 

 to be at once adopted by any person who 

 has any unsound potatoes in his possession, 

 as I feel confident it will put a stop to the 

 progress of decay. 



I would also recommend every person to 

 dip his sound potatoes, intended to be 

 planted, in the same mixture, only adding 

 about one-fourth more water to the same 

 quantity of lime. — Joseph Paxlon, Chats- 

 ioorth, Dec. 20th. 



Simple Method of Filtering. — The wa- 

 ters of the Wangho and Yang-tse-kiang, in 

 China, are highly surcharged with mud, the 

 former containing one-seventeentli part, and 

 the latter one ninety-sixth of earth. This 

 renders them both unpleasant and unwhole- 

 some to drink. Cunningham, the writer, 

 informs us that the Chinese have adopted a 

 very simple remedy for this evil, which it 

 behoves any one who may chance to visit 

 muddy streams, to remember. Into about a 

 quart of water they throw a small pinch of 

 alum, leaving it to stand a few minutes; it 

 becomes as clear as crystal, a considerable 

 sediment being found at the bottom. The 

 poorest fisherman is always provided with a 

 small Dortion for this necessary purpose. 



