Potatoe Disease in Poland. 
679 
furnished this exception are of the kind called the " Ash-leaved 
English Kidney Potato," and were obtained from England two 
vears ago ; they were planted in the midst of Mr. Kedzlie's other 
potato crops, on land of the same quality, and prepared exactly 
in the same way as the rest of the ground, which has yielded per- 
fectly sound fruit. 
This circumstance would seem to prove that the disease is not 
attributable to atmospheric influence, as, I liear, is the generally 
received opinion of other countries. Here in Poland, all persons 
to whom I have spoken on the subject think that the potatoes in 
the rest of Europe are tainted in the germ by over cultivation; and 
it is certainly remarkable that here, where the soil is generally 
light, and where less manure is used than in any other country, 
except Russia — and never immediately preceding the crops of 
potatoes — those plants should have completely escaped the infec- 
tion which threatens their extinction in all parts where greater 
pains have been taken with their culture. 
I do not imagine that the opinion alluded to, or the isolated 
fact which I have mentioned, will decide a question which has so 
hopelessly occupied the attention of first-rate scientific men in 
many countries, but I hope that the notice of the circumstances 
will not be deemed irrelevant at a time when the disease in ques- 
tion is the cause of such dire distress in her Majesty's dominions, 
as well as in other parts of Europe 
XLI I. — Arhoriculture. 
To the Secretary. 
Sir, — I do not know whether the Agricultural Society considers Arbori- 
culture as within its province; at all events, I will state to you some 
observations which I have made in a plantation which I am now thinning, 
and leave it to you to decide whether they are likely to be of any interest 
to the Council. 
The plantation in question was made at three different periods : the 
first part about the year 1807; the second part about 1S12; the last 
about 1S19. As the first was intended as a screen or belt, it was of 
little width, and planted in trenched ground ; the two latter were intended 
for coverts for game, and holes were made for the trees in the grass. 
The land is of very good quality — a loam upon clay. I find all ilie larch, 
without a single exception, in the trenched ground — that is, in the part 
first planted — decayed, whereas I never saw finer or better larch than 
those in the other plantation. I send you a valuation made by my 
woodman of seven trees in the first and second parts, by which you will 
