386 Results of the Competition o/"1874, 
The only locality that entirely escaped the disease was Lonj 
Sutton, Lincolnshire. In the other localities not included in the 
above Table, traces of the disease were detected, varying some- 
what in extent. Stafford had the largest proportion, and the 
others followed in this order: — Kent, j\ orthumberland, Essex, 
East Lothian, Yorkshire and, lastly, Elgin. 
In examining the information already given in the Tables and 
body of this Report with the view of discovering, if it be 
possible, an explanation of the greater prevalence of the disease 
in some districts than in others, it is important to notice the 
common' starting-point in these experiments, and where the 
different conditions and agencies come into operation. The seed- 
tubers were in every case of the same stocks, and they were 
carefullv selected, and believed by their respective owners to 
be characterised by a remarkable freedom, if not entire immu- 
nity, from disease. Each of the six bags received by every 
grower contained the same weight of the same kind of seed. 
The differences of condition and treatment began when the seed 
came into the possession of the growers. 
When the crops were raised the greatest differences as to the 
disease were found to exist in the various localities. At Lincoln the 
whole of the experimental crops were entirely free from disease, 
and comparatively little was seen in any of the plots on the 
eastern side of Great Britain, while at Ayr three-fourths of one' 
of the early varieties were diseased, and at Connaught a half of 
one of the late varieties, and all along the western districts of 
the kingdom the crops were extensively destroyed. It seems 
obvious from these well-marked differences that the kind of the 
seed-tubers, which were the same in all the localities, cannot be 
the efficient cause of the disease. We may consequently set 
aside all the notions, still to a considerable extent prevailing, 
that the disease itself is due to anything peculiar to the variety, 
as, for instance, its supposed exhaustion from long cultivation of 
the tubers. 
It should further be noted that the different varieties did not 
suffer from the disease to the same extent, but that under the 
same conditions there was, in the six kinds, great diversity in 
liability to disease. This fact is made apparent to the eye bv 
the following diagram (p. 387). 
It will be observed that in the same field and with the same 
treatment the second suffered much more than the first earl\ 
potato, while among the late varieties the fourth suffered tht 
least, the sixth the most, and the third and the fifth were almosi 
equally affected. Still further this relation of liability ti 
disease persisted, with an approach to uniformity, in the various 
localities, so that, as a rule, tlie fourth was the least affected I)} 
