360 CULTURE OF FARM CROPS. 



disease in 1845, it was quite common to store potatoes in 

 large masses in houses. The roots would often keep quite 

 sound in this state through the greater part of the winter. 

 No fermentation was induced, and any little heat generated 

 had the effect of causing the roots to sprout. Since that 

 time, however, things have been entirely changed. In 

 1845 the larger portion of the crop was taken up to all 

 appearance quite sound; but wherever it was stored in 

 large pits or in houses a destructive fermentation was in- 

 duced, which speedily reduced the roots to a rotten mass. 

 As is well known, the warm and rainy weather of 1846 

 gave rise to the most virulent form which the disease has 

 ever assumed in this country. It was only a small por- 

 tion of the crop that was worth the lifting. The drier 

 seasons that followed seemed to have the effect of warding 

 off the disease to a greater or less extent in certain districts. 

 In Scotland, too, as a general rule, the malady has not been 

 anything so severe as it has been in England. This may 

 be mostly ascribed to the lower temperature and to the less 

 frequent electric explosions in the north. It has been long 

 observed that thunderstorms seem to stimulate the latent 

 seeds of the disease, and promote first the destruction of 

 the haulm and then that of the tubers. Thunder- 

 storms have been pretty general over Scotland, but 

 it may - be remarked that those localities which escaped 

 them are at present far from free from the ravages 

 of the disease. It has been found that putting together 

 potatoes in large quantities has often had the effect of 

 spreading the taint through the whole. For this reason it 

 is seldom that they are now stored in houses. The smaller 

 the quantities that can be put together the better, as it will 

 diminish the risk of their spoiling. The narrower, there- 

 fore, that the pits are made, so much the more chance is 

 there of the roots keeping through the winter, and not 

 sprouting prematurely in spring. It is far from advisable 

 to begin to store before the weather becomes somewhat 

 cool, as heat is very apt to spread the destructive taint. 

 The mere handling of the potatoes, too, before the crop is 



