THE GARDENERS’ CHRONICLE. 
9.—1846.] 131 
RTHUR MA CER bes ^ ni vigorous, but much more diseased; one shoot, | to endeavour to steer another course. tu such an 
Y K egs to announce that his ; dolt h:i rei sire no better pi 
DESCRIPTIVE LIST OF FLOWER SEEDS is now 18 inches long, black and rotten all through ; in} emergency we should desire no better pilot than 
For the convenience 
of the purchaser A. M. has enclosed them in printed envelopes, 
and he trusts that the information which will be found thereon 
SCHIZANTHUS RETUSUS, 
Blunt-petalled Schi us, 
Diandria Monogynia. Nat. Ord, Scrophulariaceze, 
Half-hardy bienniat. Height, 2 to 3 feet. 
Flowers, crimson and orange. June to October. 
A native of the Andes of Mendoza. Introduced 1831. 
Deriv.—(Schizo, _ ;, and anthos, a flower; from the 
irregular form of the corolla. 
For the convenience of purchasers ata; distance the above will be 
forwarded free through the post. 
Norwich Nursery, and No. 10 Exchange-street. 
adopted :— 
EW SPRING © 
Woodlands Nursery, Maree 
M. WooD Ü 
PLANTS; Camellias, Fuchsias, Verbenas, Petunias, Cine- 
rarias, Chrysanthemums, and other plants suitable for bedding. 
choice selection of Roses, Conifers, 
Shrubs, and Climbers, cultivated in pots. 
Copies of the above will be sent, GRATIS, on application ; and 
W. W. & S. with 
MEETINGS FOK T 
Monvay, Mar. 2—Entomol 
»ts P.M. 
«08A. 
enn 
/RDNHSDAY, ‘Society of Alita: . . B oras 
Fripay, = otanical » e . ist . 8 PM. 
SATURDAY; — toval Botanie 5 . B . 4 PM. 
Tr is stated in the daily papers that Lord In- 
SESTRE exhibited the other night in the House of 
Commons some new healthy PorAToEs, which he 
said had been grown at Isleworth from diseased 
Sets ; and his Lordship is reported to have argued 
from these specimens that no danger is to be appre- 
hended. from planting land with such sets. 
We have now before us some of the Potatoes 
produced on the occasion alluded to. They were 
Cornish Kidneys, one of the most healthy varieties 
at present known, just what would resist disease if 
any will, and if we do not much mistake, the pro- 
luce of last years growth. From their age and 
appearance, they are more than two-thirds ripe, 
and are to the eye quite sound. But what then ? 
Assuming that. they are really the produce of dis- 
eased sets, of which however we have no evidence, 
and we willeven add some doubt, they prove just 
nothing at all; for plenty of apparently healthy 
young Potatoes have already been obtained in many 
parts of the country from diseased sets. It is 
added, however, that Lord INcrsTRE'S Potatoes 
were obtained from Mr. CHAPMAN, a great market 
gardener at Isleworth. h 
lordship that at that place the disease has broken 
out in a severe form. One division of Mr. Cuar- 
man’s frames is seriously affected; and he found 
that apparently sound sets placed on a shelf under 
cover, produced diseased shoots. Mr. CHAPMAN 
estimates his own loss from disease at 10007. What 
are called new Cornish Kidneys are at the time of 
writing this exhibited in Covent Garden with the 
skins already tainted, 
The great question before the country isnot whether 
a few young Potatoes can be i 
Of this future 
ate i event we must decide by 
positive not negativ 
e evidence, and we must endea- 
the question than the 90 witnesses for the horse- 
Stealer, who each swore that they did not see the 
Fus commit the robbery. Let us; therefore, look at 
br pe poet in its true aspect, and not 
ste time about i i ich i 
enden negative evidence, which is 
We last week stated that the forced Potatoes at 
Colonel Ww» » 
i Ham's, at Petworth, i 
diseased; but we did cd worth, were said to be 
po: 
the report. qj vouch for the aceuracy of 
beoe ANG MS vu hip of that case 
E very intelligent 
orth, has sent us samples of his 
agement of it. 
nd we should have 
2S whate 
been safe they were the Potatoes to Sd 
; 
they have been greened, too a A 
Eos lime. Now Mr. Mee ae ramen 
“for some time” observed. his Frame Potatoes 
"getting worse every day ;” and ho. has sent us 
samples of the latter, and of others planted in the 
open ground in November. Let us describe them : 
Tl. Frame Potatoes.—Stems 18 inches hich m 
luxuriant health, as far as vigour and colour indi- 
Cate it ; No. 1, a little decaying, the leaves blotched 
and rotting here and there; tuber fair to the eye, 
Dut with many cinnamon brown spots in the centre 
(the signs of disease). No.2. Leaves quite as 
this the tuber [ d similar apy in the 
very heart, but they were much fewer in number 
and more difficult to discover. 2. Open Ground. 
— Two samples sent; in both, the tubers are per- 
Jectly sound, as far as the eye can discover; but 
the younger shoots, each about 43 inches long, and 
still under-ground, are diseased—the one having 
two gangrenes and the other one upon the sides. 
"This is the Petworth case. 
We may now state, that at Oulton, in the houses 
under Mr. EngrNGTON'S own care, early Potatoes, 
forced in a Pine stove, kept exceedingly damp, 
“were affected by the murrain so strongly that 
nearly all their leaves perished.” Mr. J. Waxxer, 
of Ashton Hayes, near Chester, informs us that he 
also has had * six lights of Potatoes totally destroyed 
by the same disease which affected the Potato crop 
last year—some of the young Potatoes are quite 
affected through—the Potatoes when planted were 
quite sound and grew very strong and healthful 
until they were a foot high; then the disease 
attacked them and destroyed the whole six lights in 
a very short time.” Mr. Warrer has two more 
lights as bad, aud two others in which charcoal 
was used, “but the disease is in them likewise,” 
We will add that symptoms of the same kind 
have begun to show themselves in the Duke of 
Norfolk's garden at Arundel And Mr. Stern 
Rapcrrr, writing from Belleville, near Baltinglass, 
County Wicklow, asserts that ** Potatoes which 
have been planted in many cases are showing symp- 
toms of decay.” 
From Lord Srarronp's, at Cossey, near Norwich, 
Mr. Wieuron, an excellent, trustworthy observer, 
writes that—— 
The disease has appeared amongst my early Potatoes 
in a hothouse ; the stems are only about 4 inches liigh, 
and are marked so apparently with the rot, that there 
can be no doubt about the matter. I selected the seed 
Potatoes very carefully, but I found some of themattached 
to the diseased stems tainted with the malady. I have 
also seen it amongst some early Kidneys, under a wall, 
that happened to be left in the ground, where the dis- 
ease was last season.” 
The news from Bicton is worse. From a letter 
written by Mr. Barnes, dated Feb. 25, we have 
just time to make the following extracts :— 
* In my note to you early yesterday morning, I stated 
I should examine my various growing Potato crops. I 
went over them yesterday afternoon, viz., two early 
crops, now with good young tubers to them, in two dif- 
ferent hothouses; both crops, I am truly sorry to state, 
are attacked with the disease, and astonishingly altered 
since Sunday only. It is running over them like wild- 
fire, producing its gangrene sore-looking blotehings on 
the stems or stalks, and the brown burnt-looking spots, 
and black inky-looking blotchings on the foliage, to a 
considerable extent. ‘Two other crops I have in Melon 
pits at present are clear. One later, under hoops and 
mats, &e., to protect them, are affected with the pest; 
all those crops have hitherto been remarkably clear and 
healthy, and I never saw Potatoes grow stronger ; we 
took every pains in well preparing the seed in autumm, 
and used such means as we considered likely to destroy 
this pest, and had hitherto placed much confidenee 
in the crops, fully considering that we would be safe 
from infection this season ; our hopes are now sadly 
blighted—unexpeetedly, 1 o'clock, p.m.—I have this 
forenoon discovered ‘the disease amongst the Pota- 
toes in the Melon pits, in various stages; I could not 
discover it yesterday ; these to all appearance will now 
fall a sacrifice; hitherto so healthy and strong. Another 
week may scorch up every stem and leaf.” 
Ash-leaved Kidney Potatoes, clean, and. free 
from all blemish, are going off rapidly in the dry 
stores of the dealers. 
In Anglesea, at Bodorgan, the seat of Mr. 
Owen Furrer Meynic, the murrain “shews itself. 
to a great extent in the common red field variety,” 
as we learn from Mr. Ewrxe, the gardener at that 
place, who adds—* To the best of my belief there is 
little or no chance of saving: Potatoes over the pre- 
sent year.” 
Finally, at Crofthead, near Carlisle, the autumn- 
planted Potatoes on Mr. Brown’s farm, from a dis- 
eased stock, appear now to be in a state of decay, 
although great pains were taken in liming and 
sorting them. This crop. will, to all appearatice, 
end in a failure, and when two rows are planted 
with cu£ Potatoes, the sets are entirely decayed. 
In the same place, however, autumn-planted. Pota- 
toes from * Mossy” land are sound, germinating, 
and, to all appearance, a good crop may be ex- 
pected. i 
Are these facts to be disregarded ? Are the signs 
thus manifested early,in Cumberland, Cheshire, W ales, 
Hertfordshire, Middlesex, Sussex, Devonshire, and 
even in. Wicklow, -of no import ? Shall we wrap 
ourselves in a false security, and sleep till our ship 
is on the rocks? Surely we had better take sound- 
ings, consult our charts, and if we find the current 
setting towards the reefs we should be insane not 
the gallant member for South Staffordshire himself, 
Gentlemen may rely upon it these are the small 
black clouds in the distance, which indicate the 
coming storm. And let us be thankful to a 
merciful Providence that we are warned in time 
before the ship is among the breakers. 
Mr. EnniNGTON found that by removing his dis- 
eased Potatoes from a damp to a dry Pinery he 
arrested the progress of the evil in the course of a 
tnight ; and Mr. Warrer states that his Pota- 
ices in a Vinery are not (yet) affected: he even 
fhinks that thé disease would be avoided if the 
plants had plenty-of air in the day-time; and the 
foliage could be kept dry. 
Possibly—but.not probably ; if Potatoes were to 
be grown in garden-pots, and reared in Vineries, 
the supposition might carry some consolation with 
it ; but of what avail is that to the great body of 
cultivators who are compelled to trust to seasons, 
in islands where precariousness is so. notorious? 
We ourselves incline to the belief that if a Potato, 
originally nearly sound, could be reared slowly in a 
warm soil kept dry during its growth, exposed 
when above ground daily to a bright sun, warm air, 
and eloudless sky, and if those conditions could be 
insured for the whole duration of its annual exist- 
euce—that there then would be little risk in the 
Potato crop of 1846. But who is there, among the 
many madmen of our day, quite mad enough to 
reckon upon such a fortunate combination of cireum- 
stances? We-hope and trust no one. 
It may bealleged that the Potatoes are diseased 
because they have been forced ; that Mr. Exnrne~ 
TON's, in particular, were injured by having been 
grown ina damp Pine stove. But the Petworth 
and Bicton Potatoes are, in part, from the open 
ground; and who before ever heard of Potatoes 
being diseased when forced? Why, the conditions 
to which they are subjected when forced are pre- 
cisely what would be most conducive, under ordi- 
nary circumstances, to a healthy vegetation. The 
truth evidently is—and it is sheer folly to shut our 
eyes to it—that the vitality of the Potato is affected 
by thelate season, and that the least thing in the 
world will now throw it into a state of disease. Its 
constitution is only to be renewed by along and 
careful regimen: 
We must therefore repeat our warning, not to plant 
Potatoes about which there is a doubt. It would 
be better to gamble ina lottery, or in Capel-court. 
Doubtless, in some instances, success will attend 
the risk—but whose will that success be? We 
cannot venture to say whose. 
How arewe to know Potatoes about which there 
isa doubt? is the natural rejoinder. How, indeed? 
THEY CANNOT BE KNOWN.: The eye will not dis- 
tinguish them; nor will the resources of Chemistry, 
Botany, or Physiology, do anything in this matter. 
Even the microscope fails us. We have now ex- 
amined diseased ` Potato-plants obtained from sets 
so, apparently sound that we have entirely failed 
in discovering an unfavourable symptom ; and we 
are irresistibly driven to the conclusion that, in such 
cases, the malady is latent. That being so; we can 
no more determine whether the murrain is present 
in a Potato, than whether gout or king’s-evil are 
latent ina child; we must wait for time to make 
the discovery. 
But the production of food cannot be allowed to 
wait for the slow advance of time. We must have 
it at'the moment we want it, or we starve. There- 
fore we say to the Irish people, PLANT NO MORE 
PorATOES FOR A SUSTENANCE. h 
Solanis careant oeulos yitiantibus agri: 1 
oo 
El 
Sow your land with Oats, or other grain ; 
Triticeos fetus, passuraque farra b nem, 
Tordeaque ingenti fenore reddat aver, 
The natural kindness of your landiords will fur- 
nish you with the means of doing so, in this your 
great calamity. You cannot afford to gamble in the 
article of food. Certainty is indispensable in your 
case. Turn, then, to Oats; they area much better food 
than Potatoes, and they ean be relied upon. Pota- 
toes are a lottery in which the prizes, when you 
win them, are not worth the having. It is, in any 
case, a shame to plant the most fertile latid'in Eu- . 
rope with the worst kind of food which the earth is 
capable of yielding ; and; in the present conjune- 
ture, it would be a wickedness to do so, when the 
danger that attends it is thus providentially dis- 
covered in good time. 
We formerly (p. 815, 1845), stated upon the 
authority of Government returns that Gallicia and 
Corsica were at that time the only foreign countries 
in Europe from which a supply of perfectly sound 
Potatoes could be obtained. Now that the import- 
ance ofshowing what districts are uninfected has 
become so much more apparent than it then was; 
we hasten with permission of Government, to make 
