1861. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



69 



wood, (fee, in preference to hiring it done by 

 hand or otherwise. 



They are manufactured at Middletown, Vt., by 

 A. W. Gray & Son, who will deliver them, to 

 any address, at their depot. Single power, thresh- 

 er and separator, .$1125 ; circular saw, 24 inches, 

 filed and set, frame and balance wheel, $37. 



M. A. Thompson. 



Swanzetj, N. H., Dec. 1, 1860. 



FATTENING OF SWINE. 



I have looked with some anxiety for the expe- 

 rience of our farmers in fattening swine, since 

 the statement that dry meal would make more 

 pork than it would fed any other way. If that 

 can be proved to be a fact, it will save pork rais- 

 ers some labor. I have practiced scalding all my 

 nieal and then putting in milk or slops to make 

 it so thin that it can be poured from the pail 

 readily. I hope some one who has conveniences 

 for weighing live hogs will give the matter a fair 

 trial and report in the Farmer. 



Eoxbury, Vt, Dec, 18G0. W. A. Simonds. 



For the New England Farmer. 



MESSBS. SMEE AND REED ON THE 

 POTATO DISEASE. 



In 1846 Mr. Smee, surgeon to the Bank of Eng- 

 land, and F. R. S., published a small book upon the 

 potato disease. I hwve not had an opportunity 

 to read this work thoroughly, but have secured 

 from his "Resume" the following conclusions : 



*'(4.) The plant is subject to death at various 

 parts, or a sort of vegetable gangrene. 



'■(5.) This death, in the form presented by the 

 present disease, is influenced, but not caused, by 

 light, heat, electricity, moisture, soils and ma- 

 nure. 



"(6.) It is, however, caused by the Aphis vas- 

 tator, which punctures the leaf, sucks the sap, and 

 destroys the relation between the leaf and the 

 root, thus causing the leaf or some other part of 

 the plant to become gangrened, or in other words, 

 to die." 



Mr. Smee also observes, that this insect at- 

 tacks many other garden vegetables, and that, if 

 not destroyed, it may cause famine in some dis 

 tricts, though he thinks the evil fleeting, as the 

 ^•astator will probably be destroyed by other in- 

 sects. Every remedy, however," should be era- 

 ployed, not only against the insect itself, but also 

 to mitigate the injluences. 



That the Aphis vastator attacks other vegeta- 

 bles, I think in this country farmers have made 

 no complaint. They decay, so far as they do de- 

 cay, from the usual causes; and the wonder is, 

 why the potato cannot rot, without cause from an 

 insect, us ivell as other vegetables. 



It will be seen by Mr. Smee's theory, that there 

 are six powerful influences affecting the disease, 

 which are usually regarded as the causes; and 

 they are so numerous that it would seem they 

 might overpower, if not entirely destroy, his in- 

 sect. Besides, Mr. Wilson Flagg observes in the 

 last Massachusetts Agricultural Report, (though 

 I did not myself see the statement in Mr. Sraee's 

 book,) that Mr. S. found that when he placed the 

 insects that infested the unsound tubers upon 



one that was sound, they would not remain upon 

 it, but left it. Hence the reasonable conclusion 

 that they feed only upon those which are already 

 decayed. 



It will also be observed, that Mr. Smee's work 

 was published about two years after the disease 

 appeared ; and that further investigation and 

 more extended observation may not, in his own 

 opinion, have sustained the theory. 



But I ])ass to the Hon. Lyman Reed, of Balti- 

 more, who seems to have adopted Mr. Smee's 

 theory — bating, perhaps, the influences — Mr. R. 

 being, as I should judge, a pure, unadulterated; 

 insectorian. I mean no disrespect to him ; for if 

 he has spent time and money in the investigation 

 of the potato disease, he should be honored, 

 though the public may be disappointed in his de- 

 velopments. To sustain his theory — or to "estab- 

 lish these facts," as he says, namely, the facts 

 which constitute the essence of his theory — he 

 has certificates of seventeen members of Congress. 

 Now, Mr. Reed thinks that there is no appeal 

 from the opinion of these seventeen gentlemen ! 

 They have seen the insects, and they believe they 

 destroy the potato. But Mr. Pourtales and Mr. 

 Flint, who saw these same insects through the 

 microscope, do not come to the same conclusion. 

 They probably and very sensibly believe, that in 

 abstruse, scientific investigation, it takes more 

 than seventeen men, (M. C.'s though they may be,) 

 to establish a fact, particularly against the gener- 

 al belief. And perhaps there has been no theory 

 advanced relating to this disease, Avhich may not 

 easily procure seventeen intelligent gentlemen to 

 certify that that is the true cause. Of course, 

 that of the atmospheric theory could procure a 

 legion, and probably Mr. Pourtales and Mr. 

 Flint would be among the number, notwithstand- 

 ing Mr. Reed's readiness to place them in defence 

 of his "facts !" Yet all the theories cannot be true. 



These members of Congress say in their cer- 

 tificate, "We feel convinced that a new and im- 

 portant discovery has been made." Of what ? 

 That insects are on the tubers. No one can dis- 

 pute the test. By whom ? Not certainly by Mr. 

 Reed, for Mr. Smee claims priority. But they 

 say, "50 far as we can judge," &c., where these 

 insects have operated, the tuber "prematurely de- 

 cays." Here the public, till more fully convinced, 

 will join issue. 



Daring the past season, some of my potatoes 

 grown on new land, were found to be greatly eat- 

 en by the common white black-headed grub of the 

 gardens. But they were not diseased, and have 

 not since rotted on that account, though some of 

 my potatoes have exhibited dry rot in the cellar. 

 It would seem by this fact, that simply gnawing 

 or puncturing a tuber does not predispose to 

 disease any more than cutting with the hoe ; and 

 hence, that if the Aphis destroys it, it must be 

 from the efl"usion of poison, as Mr. Reed claims. 

 Yet I think the economy of this law a little re- 

 markable, as I observed in a communication two 

 years ago, and to which Mr. Goldsbury has al- 

 luded. By the way, is it demonstrated that no 

 tubers rot except those which have been gan- 

 grened by the Aphis ? If so, then he is a very 

 ancient enemy, and only suddenly re-inforced 

 himself in 1843. Do the variable states of the 

 atmosphere, moisture, warmth, manure, or soil, 

 generate or assist in generating this insect ? 



