NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



327 



much rough fodder to dispose of, he cannot, provided 

 he has root crops of any kind, do better than to pur- 

 chase one of these machines. It will pay for itself 

 in one year, beside adding greatly to his own con- 

 venience and the comfort of his stock. 



A LOWER-MERION FARMER. 

 — Germantoion Telegraph. 



POTATO ROT AGAIN. 



We have accounts from all parts of New England, 

 from some parts of New York, and from several of 

 the British provinces, stating that the potato rot pre- 

 vails in the greatest degree of virulence that has ever 

 been known. Probably iu no country has it ever 

 been so severe at any period. 



It is said that in the neighborhood of Portsmouth, 

 N. H., where potatoes were sold last year to the 

 amount of $100,000, there will not be enough for 

 home consumption. We are informed that in Nortli- 

 ampton, in that state, where the sales of potatoes 

 amounted to $14,000 last year, it is estimated that 

 there will not be half enough for home use. 



It is stated that in one section a ten-acre lot of 

 potatoes was offered for $10. In another case a 

 three-acre lot was offered for seventy-five cents. A 

 fanner, who had a lot of several acres, offered a dollar 

 to any one who would find a sound potato in the lot. 

 A man took his hoe, and searched for a while, and 

 gave up the pursuit. 



In short, we should judge, from what we have seen 

 and heard, that in many sections, and probably in 

 New England generally, there are not now so many 

 sound potatoes as were planted. Many farmers say 

 that they have not so many as they planted. In 

 some cases, potatoes that were planted early, attained 

 a good growth, and were dug before the rot com- 

 menced, have kept well ; in other cases of the kind, 

 they have nearly all decayed. 



This disease is a very serious calamity to the coun- 

 try, for the potato is by far the most valuable of vege- 

 tables, and perhaps of more importance as an article 

 of necessity or luxury, or as a staple in commercial 

 transactions, than all other vegetables. Those farm- 

 ers who have gone extensively into the culture of 

 this root, depending on its sales to pay their ex- 

 penses for labor, will be much affected by their heavy 

 losses. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. 



From Dr. Holmes, editor of the Maine Farmer, 

 Thompso7i s Favorite apple. It is large and beautiful, 

 resembling the Gravenstein in appearance, but in the 

 same climate it would ripen a month earlier. It ap- 

 pears to be of excellent quality, but it was rather too 

 ripe for us to form a correct opinion. Dr. II. thinks 

 that it is equal, if not superior, to the Williams apple, 

 and it ripens about the same time. Raised from 

 seed by a Mr. Thompson, of Mercer, Me. 



Of Samuel Walker, Roxbury, president of the 

 Mass. Horticultural Society, a variety of specimens 

 of fine pears. Mr. Walker cultivates a very exten- 



sive assortment of this fruit, and is testing abnost 

 every variety, foreign and domestic. 



Of Andrew Lackey, Marblehead, a great variety 

 of plums, specimens of pears, &c. Among the plums 

 is the beautiful Jefferson. The St. Catharine is a 

 small plum, but a great bearer, and excellent fruit. 



Of John Washburn, some fine specimens of early 

 quince, of the apple form, probably his excellent 

 seedling from the apple quince. 



From J. S. Sayward, editor of the Courier, Ban- 

 gor, Me., M'Laughlin plum, in prime condition. We 

 are pleased that this variety more than sustains the 

 high reputation that has been given to it. We tried 

 this fruit, with some friends who are among the best 

 judges, and we all considered it fully equal to the 

 Green Gage, which, as to quality, seems, in the opin- 

 ion of many, to be unrivalled. It is much larger 

 than the Green Gage, and a better grower ; and as 

 we had this fruit from a region so much further 

 north, fully ripe, before the Green Gage was gone 

 here, we think that it will ripen enough earlier than 

 the Green Gage, to form a succession with it. Mr. 

 Sayward says that it ripens about the time of the 

 Imperial Ottoman, which is an early plum, specimens 

 of which we have also had of our friend. They arc 

 beautiful, of excellent flavor, and well adapted to a 

 northern climate. Also, Penobscot plums, which are 

 of good size, and fine appearance ; but the quality is 

 only medial, like a large number now in cultivation. 



From John M' Wales, Milford, fruit and scions of 

 Wales's Velvetine peach, a new seedling raised by 

 him, of the highest character. Although this fruit 

 was picked before quite ripe, in order to send with 

 the scions, yet it ripened well, and was among the 

 very finest that we have tasted this season. One 

 specimen was kept six days, and yet was excellent. 

 The size of those we received was medial, but Mr. 

 W. says that they are generally large ; the form 

 roundish, with a deep suture on one side ; the ground 

 color a golden yellow, mostly covered with a deep, 

 rich red, of a beautiful velvety appearance ; the flesh 

 a deep yellow, with a tinge of red next the stone, 

 very tender, juicy, sirupy, and luscious. The stone 

 is small, but as the specimens we had were picked 

 before fully ripe, we could not determine whether it 

 was a freestone. It usually ripens about the 20th 

 of September. 



From Col. E. Hale, Rock Bottom, Hale's Meloco- 

 ton peach — the same that is described in the Amer- 

 ican Fruit-Book. This peach is uniformly good, 

 very rich, and among the finest raised in the country. 

 It produces the same from the seed. We have many 

 young trees in our nursery, all perfectly uniform. 



From D. Merrill, 2d, ]\Iethucn, largo, fine-looking 

 grapes, raised without culture ; but the flavor is too 

 much of the wild or foxy taste to be valuable, as bet- 

 ter kinds are getting into u.se. 



From O. V. Hills, Leominster, apples without a 

 name. They are large and fair, and an excellent 

 cooking apple ; but as they come in early in Sep- 

 tember, when fine peaches, pears, and plums are 

 plenty, they arc not fine enough for a dessert fruit. 

 We do not know the name. 



