646 POTATO ROT. 



Gale, Geo. W., Lowell. Cause. — At a certain growth of 

 the vine, " a copious dew or fog condenses upon the tops, for 

 two or three nights in succession, which moisture being sud- 

 denly evaporated by the powerful rays of the sun, causes par- 

 tial death to the leaves and small branches, by some called 

 rust, causing the sap to descend from the diseased tops to the 

 potatoes, generating the rot. 



Remedy. — Procure northern seed, spread them on the sunny 

 side of the fence, cover them with horse manure to sprout. 

 Plant early. After the death-dew, mow close to the ground. 

 Dig late. 



Hale, Joshua, Lowell. Cause. — Atmospheric influence — 

 " an extra supply of nitrogen and some ammonia, that rises from 

 the earth like a dew upon the leaves and branches, penetrating 

 and mixing with the moisture of the vines, causing putrefaction. 

 Cure. — Spread dry slack-lime over them once a week, not 

 enough to injure the vines, till it whitens the ground. It will 

 moisten sandy land, and dry and warm the cold, wet land." 



Hartshorn, Jacob, Dover, " believes the disease is in the 

 air, as the cholera is supposed to be, and generally makes its 

 appearance about the last of July or first of August, when I 

 cut the tops off even with the ground, without injury to an 

 early crop ;" and before late potatoes send up new tops, the 

 disease will have passed away. 



Hastings, Theodore, of Adams, thinks a sure and practical 

 remec?y consists of a mixture o( ground sand and pitch. The sand 

 must be pure silex, such as is used in the manufacture of flint 

 glass. The pitch, (or resin can be used) must be finely pul- 

 verized and mixed with the sand, in the proportion of one part 

 pitch, in bulk, to two parts sand, applied at the time of plant- 

 ing, three table spoonfuls to each hill. On wet. rich, or old 

 soils, two spoonfuls more may be applied when the plant has 

 acquired the height of six or eight inches. 



Hatch, E. F., Dorchester. Remedy. — " Resort to the original 



