360 



EOOT CROPS. 



discovered that Mr. Losovsky (living in the government of 

 "Witebsk, in tlie district of Sebege), had for four years adopted the 

 plan of drying his seed potatoes, and that daring that time there 

 had been no disease on his estate. It was again an accident 

 which led to the practice of this gentleman. Five years ago, while 

 his potatoes were digging, he put one in his pocket, and on return- 

 ing home threw it on the stove (poele), where it remained for- 

 gotten till the spring. Having then chanced to observe it, he had 

 the curiosity to plant it, all dried up as it was, and obtained an 

 abundant, healthy crop ; since that time the practice of drying 

 has been continued, and always with great success. Professor 

 Bollraan remarks that it is usual in Kussia, in many places, to 

 smoke-dry flax, wheat, and rye ; and in the west of Eussia, ex- 

 perienced proprietors prefer, for seed, onions that have been kept 

 over the winter in cottages without a chimney. Such onions are 

 called dymlca, which may be interpreted smoke-dried. 



The second fact is tbis : — Mr. WasilefFsky, a gentlemen residing 

 in the government of Mohileff, is in the habit of keeping potatoes 

 all the year round, by storing them in the place where his hams 

 are smoked. It happened that in the spring of 1852 his seed 

 potatoes, kept in the usual manner, were insufficient, and he made 

 up the requisite quantity with some of those which had been for a 

 month in the smoking place. These potatoes produced a capital 

 crop, very little diseased, while at the same time the crop from the 

 sets which were not smoke-dried was extensively attacked by 

 disease. Professor Bollman is of opinion that there would have 

 been no disease at all if the sets had been better dried. 



The temperature required to produce the desired result is not very 

 clearly made out. Mr. Bollman's room, in which his first potatoes 

 were dried, was heated to about 72 degrees, and much higher. By 

 way of experiment he placed others m the chamber of the stove 

 itself, where the thermometer stood at 136 degrees, and more. He 

 also ascertained that the vitality of the potato is not alfected, 

 even if the rind is charred. Those who have the use of a malt-kiln, 

 or even a lime-kiln, might try the effect of excessive drying, for a 

 month seems to be long enough for the process. — (Gardener's 

 Chronicle.) 



A Mr. Penoyer, of Western Saratoga, Illinois, publishes the 

 following, which he recommends as a perfect cure and preventive 

 of the potato rot, having tested it thoroughly four years with 

 perfect success ; while others in the same field, who did not use 

 the preventive, lost their entire crop by the rot. It not only pre- 

 vents the rot, but restores the potato to its primitive vigor, and 

 the product is not only sound, but double the size, consequently 

 producing twice the quantity on the same ground, and the vines 

 grow much larger, and retain then* freshness and vitality until the 

 frost kills them. Aside from the cure of the rot, the farmers 

 would be more than doubly compensated for their trouble and 

 expense in the increase and quality of the crop. The remedy or 

 preventive is as follows : — " Take one peck of fine salt and mix it 



