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predisposing causes ensued, or would send up a puny and dis- © 
eased stalk. In America, also, although the weather was dry, 
the potato crop was defective, having suffered from blight ; 
symptoms of the disease likewise appeared, late in the autumn 
of this year, in England, especially in Kent and Devonshire. 
‘©1845. General potato failure. ‘The disease, which had 
already manifested itself in North America, first appeared ge- 
nerally in Great Britain and Ireland late in the autumn of this 
year; it also extended throughout Scotland, and was very de- 
structive in Holland, Belgium, France, and Germany. 
“©1846. Complete and general potato failure throughout 
all Ireland. 
“©1847. Very extensive potato failure. Turnips and other 
green crops were also injured. There was a failure in the 
beans similar to that in the potato. 
«©1848. Extensive potato failure. At the end of July 
and beginning of August the usual blight was again reported, 
but not so general as in 1846. 
‘©1849. Potato failures reported from various parts of the 
country. 
«1850. The potato blight appeared in some localities, but 
to a partial extent only. 
«©1851. Slight and partial potato failure. 
«¢ Partial and localized failures were reported during the 
summers and autumns of 1852, 1853, and 1854. 
‘* Thus we find that partially in 1845, almost entirely in 
1846, very extensively m 1847, and nearly as much so in 
1848, the potato, as a crop, failed ; and as the disease rose, so 
it sunk, for in 1849 and 1850, potato failures, although not ge- 
neral, were both intense and widely extended. Like the inva- 
sion of other great epidemics affecting man or animals, the 
violence of which approaches a culminating point and then 
abates, so the late potato disease slowly and insidiously pro- 
gressed, until it reached its acme, during 1846, 1847, 1848, then 
stood still, and gradually, year by year, gave way, until the 
