604 [Assembly 



?&ys^ " If it were true that the potato disease were wholly constitu- 

 tional, as our correspondent supposes, the vegetable would be equally 

 affected in all locations, which is not the case." This is a strange 

 inference indeed. He might as well say, if a man is affected with 

 the scrofula, or any other constitutional disease, it is of no conse- 

 quence what regimen he adopts, he will be just as likely to die unde 

 one course of treatment as another. 



Again he says — " If it can be proved that varieties of fruit degene- 

 rate by being propogated by grafting or budding, we should regard it 

 as evidence that the potato might be affected in the way indi- 

 cated." He must be a young man, or have spent his days among 

 seedlings, not to have had opportunity of knowing, by his own 

 observation, that although the quality of fruit is not deteriorated, but 

 rather improved by grafting; yet the vitality of the graft cannot be 

 p:otracted much beyond the natural age of the original stock. The 

 choicest fruits of former times have all passed away, notwithstanding 

 the efforts to continue them by grafting, and have been succeeded by 

 new varieties, obtained from seedlings, many of which equal or sur- 

 pass their predecessors. This is a fact so well established and so 

 important, that it ought to be known to all interested in the cultiva- 

 tion of trees, and other plants; and especially to those, who from 

 their position, are to give direction to the opinions an<l practice of 

 others. 



Again he seems to infer from his own experience that the disease 

 in the potato cannot be eradicated by planting the seeds. He says: 

 " of the six or seven kinds produced from seed, nearly all were evi- 

 dently effected (affected) by the potato disease." Yet he admits that 

 *' one or two kinds seem to have more natural stamina than the others, 

 and continued vigorous till the close of the season." This is precisely 

 the result indicated by the 3d, 4th and 5th, of the above propositions. 

 It is not to be supposed that a deeply seated constitutional disease 

 can be wholly eradicated from plants or animals, by a single repro- 

 duction. 



His own account, however, shows considerable advancement towards 

 renovation by a single experiment. 



There is certainly enough of probability about this theo-y to claim 

 for it a candid consideration. Let it then be fairly and fully investi- 

 gated. Let experiments of planting seeds be continued, and let the 

 iacts observe<l in all attempts to renew the vigor of the plant in this 



