46 



NEW ENGLAND FARMEK; 



Again, some varieties tliat were more hardy than 

 nsiial, appeared from limited experiments to be 

 jjroof against the disease. But as it continued, and 

 (Xjcasionally increased in violence, in soifte sections 

 it swept away all theories. 



On every soil and location the potato has been 

 affected; no manure, ot mode of manuring, or the 

 absence of manure lias saved it from destruction, 

 when the disease has been severe. No variety has 

 '^scaped the ravages of this disease. Even new- 

 varieties, wliich some thought might be lelied on, 

 have rotted as readily as old ones. We have raised 

 new varieties from the seed that have rotted the 

 first year, and las-t year we lost more than 50 vari- 

 eties that were two and three years from seed, as 

 they all rotted. Since this disease has prevailed, 

 we have had some seasons that were rather dry and 

 tolerably cool, without one severe rain during the 

 period of the potato rot, and yet the rot has pre- 

 vailed. 



It was supposed that the potato was declining 

 generally, and that it might be renewed in full vig- 

 or by procuring seed and tubers from the native re- 

 jjion of the potato. This has been tried without 

 any favorable result. Potatoes from seed brought 

 from Peru rotted as readily as old varieties planted 

 by the side of them. When the disease was spread- 

 ing nearly over the whole world, and the only 

 places heard from where it did not decay were the 

 south of Spain and some islands of the Mediterra- 

 nean, potatoes were procured fi'om those favored 

 spots, and planted in England, but they failed also. 



Although early pdanting is generally attended 

 with the best success, yet no time of planting has 

 been a security. We have known early potatoes 

 io rot in June, and the disease to prevail occasi n- 

 ally from that time till the latter part of November. 

 We have known it to appear early and then disap- 

 pear for one or two months. One year, (1817,) 

 we dug the most of our potatoes by the 20th of 

 September, and they had rotted bxit very little, some 

 varieties not any. We then omitted digging till 

 the 10th of October, and in some cases they were 

 half rotten by the side of those that had not rotted 

 any at the previous digging. 



The state of the weather is not tlic principal 

 cause of the rot, for in years past we had as wet 

 and as wann weather as we have ever had since the 

 rot prevailed, yet the wet, warm, muggy weather, 

 is the most powerful of all secondary or predispos- 

 ing causes. So powerful that when the weatlier is 

 dry and co(d, the potato will generally resist not 

 only the principal, but all other secondary causes. 

 As an example, in 1849, a season in which the dis- 

 ease was very light, generally, we had procured a 

 hardy and valuable kind, and to subject it to a se- 

 vere test v.'c planted some on wet land, and ma- 

 nured with unfermented animal manure. On dig- 

 jjing them the last of September, they had not rotted. 

 But as we had had no rain of consequence for some 



weeks, we let a part of them remain, till after rather 

 heavy rains in October, and yet they had not rotted. 

 This variety seemed so hardy, that \vc planted mor»* 

 of them than of any other variety last season, and 

 the crop was not worth digging, not even on dry 

 land. Whether this great difference was owing to 

 the different state of the weather in the two years, 

 or to the greater prevalence of the principal cause 

 of the disease in 18.50, we cannot say. We think 

 that without regard to the weather, the main caus^^ 

 of the disease may abound more in one season than 

 in another, and more in some sections of a countr\- 

 or of the world, than in others. 



[To be Concluded in our next Number.] 



For the Nfu: Kngland Farmer - 



THE CULTIVATION OF NATIVE TREES 

 AND SHRUBS. 



[Continrted from I'ol. 2, p. 411.]. 



The late lamented botanist, Mr. Oakes, sup- 

 posed when he published his Botany of Vermont, 

 that he had discovered in that State thiee species 

 of trees, nowhere else to be found in New Eng- 

 land. These were the Over Cup AVhite Oak. 

 Quercus Macrocarpa. the Northern Cork Elm, 

 Ulmus Racemosa, and the Heart-leaved Balsam, 

 Poplar, Populus Candicans. He also adds, the 

 three tine species, viz: the two Balsam Poplars, 

 and the magnificent Vermont Poplar, are scarcely 

 found, unless cultivated, in any other of the New 

 England States. The Vermont Poplar and the 

 Heart-leaved Balsam Poplar were not .seen native, 

 in America, by either the elder or younger Mich- 

 aux. 



It is now known that the Over Cup White Oak 

 is found in Massachusetts, likewise the Vermont 

 Poplar, or Populas Monilifera, sometimes calle<l 

 the A'irgiiiian Poplar, and the Necklace Poplar. — 

 The two Balsam Poplars, and the Noithern Cork 

 bark Elm, have not, as yet, to my knowledge, 

 been discovered in Massachusetts, but they prob- 

 ably will be found, as they occur in the adjoining 

 States. The Over Cup White Oak is a fine orna- 

 mental tree, and in its appearance is very distinct 

 from the other species of the oak. It has a fine 

 luxurious foliage, the leaves being larger than any 

 of the oaks; sometimes in young and vigorous 

 trees, they will measure twelve or more inches 

 in length, by six or seven inclies in breadth. — 

 The acorns are very large and beautiful, covered 

 more than half their length by cups having large 

 scales, terminating in filaments resembling a fringe. 



The Northern Cork Elm appears to have been 

 wholly unknown, prcviou.s to the year 1829, when 

 it was discovered and described in Silliman's Jour- 

 nal, by Mr. Thomas. It was likewise found in 

 Vermont, by Mr. Oakes and Dr. Robliins. It is 

 described in Torrey's Botany of New York, vol- 

 ume 2d, page 166, and illustrated by a plate. In 

 its appearance, it resembles the common White. 

 Elm, and it w'ould be by many persons mistaken 

 for that tree. But upon a more close examination, 

 it would be easily distinguished from any of the 

 New England elms, by the broad plates of cork 

 on its branches. It resembles somewhat the Ul- 

 mus Alata, or Wahoo, the elm found in the 

 maritime parts of the Southern States. The 

 Northern Cork Elm most resembles the European 



