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CAN HERD-BOOV^- 



DE VOT ED TO 



AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE, AND RURAL AND DOMESTIC AFFAIRS. 



Perfect Agriculture is the true foundation of all trade and industry.— LiEnio. 



Vol. IX — No. 12.] 



7th mo. (July) 15th, 1845. 



[Whole ^o. 126. 



PUBMSHED MONTHLY, 



BY J O S I A H T A T U 31, 



EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR, 



N©. 50 North Fourth Street, 



PHILADELPHIA. 



Price one dollar per year. — Forcondittons see last page. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



The rotatoe Rot. 



Mr. Editor, — Any information on the 

 subject of the rot in the potatoe, that even 

 approximates to the truth, is much needed 

 at present. I hope you will not consider a 

 column of your paper unworthily filled which 

 contains a communication devoted to that 

 object. 



1 stated in your May number, that the rot 

 in the potatoe was caused by a deficiency of 

 alkaline substances. It is found by burning 

 the tops of the potatoe, that 10,000 parts 

 yield 1,500 parts of ashes, v/hile oak wood 

 in equal quantity, yields only 250 parts. 

 This will serve to show the great quantity 

 of alkali contained in potatoes over other 

 veeretable matter. 



The cellular tissue of all vegetables is 

 composed partly of alkalies. They exist 

 therein in a variety of forms : sometimes as 

 carbonate of lime, at others as silicate of pot- 



Cab.— Vol. IX.— No. 12. 



ash, at others in; the form of phosphate of 

 lime, &c., &c. 



It is plain that if 3 plant has not sufficient 

 alkali for the formation of the cellular tissue, 

 its growth will be impeded, or the cellular 

 substance will be so weak and thin, as not 

 to be able to perform its function of holding 

 the starch and other matter contained in the 

 potatoe. When the plant has not enough 

 alkali therefore, we may look for the cellu- 

 lar tissue to be broken and otherwise in- 

 ijured. This is actually the case with the 

 I potatoe that is affected with the rot. Mr. 

 JTeschemaGher, a scientific gentleman of 

 Boston, wlio has examined the rotten pota- 

 toe with a microscope, says: "The cells ap- 

 peared lacerated." This is Vt'hat we would 

 expect, especially when the substance con- 

 tained in the cells is swollen by wet, or 

 heat, and the tissue is thin. In another 

 place he says : " Indeed, it p^ppears to me 

 that the injury takes place by the rupturing 

 of the cellular parts of the potatoe." 



When the cells are ruptured the health 

 of the potatoe is destroyed, and death and 

 decay follow in the parts so ruptured. The 

 decayed matter gives food to fungi and in- 

 sects, and thus gives rise to the theory 

 that the disease is caused by the fungi or 

 insects, instead of the want of alkali. 



Again, when there is sufficient alkali to 

 neutralize an acid, the acid is not to be 

 found as such. It has entered into a chemi- 

 cal combination with the alkali, and assists 

 in forming a salt. There is carbonic acid 



(361) 



