



















464 THE POTATO-MOULD. 
with an useless reverence, containing as was supposed some — 
rare power in healing, or some efficacy in incantations and í 
magic. : 
With regard to the moulds, it was Micheli, who in 1729 
published his Nova Plantarum Genera, that established the 
scientific character of the genus Botrytis, on which sine, — 
from certain structural differences in the mode of producing 
the seed, other genera or distinct kinds of mould have been — 
constructed. Of these, Corda instituted the genus Perono- — 
spora; the minute moulds which belong to it, and they are 
numerous, infesting only living plants. The discovery that- 
their presence caused injurious effects and even great loss is 
of modern date, and to the investigations of Professor Cas- 
pary of Bonn, the botanist and the agriculturist alike are — 
indebted for the valuable knowledge. 
The words “mould and mouldiness,” familiar as they atè, _ 
are now significant of topics interesting to the farmer, and 
by them he is atinually subjected to the loss of his cabbage’ — 
clover, lettuce, onions, parsnips, peas, potatoes, ete l 
To the common eye, and unaided by science, mildews, i 
mouldiness, and similar microscopic plants, would be readily i 
confounded. But the mildew is a much more highly deve ‘ 
oped fungus, and though apparently as dangerous, is not 80 
to the same extent. The egg-like mould ( Oidium) which 
covers and suffocates the young gooseberry Or the graph — 
readily yields to agents which will destroy it, and set 7 
from its threads the swelling fruit; but the potato-mould for 
instance, is the inception of the potato-rot, which is © 
dreaded. 
The “moulds,” then, are fearful parasitic plants, 
on the tender tissues of other plants, and eventu 
their death. It, is estimated that in Europe no less t 
different kinds of fungi are known as infesting the x 
and probably the number in this country is 20 less. fe 
on this account that those who have attempted to me 
the potato disease among us, have differed so widely 7 

ally cause 
han tel 
