Review of the Season and Crops for 1847. 11 
doubt induced many to enter more largely into their culture next 
year. 
Peas yielded a good produce, and their value is being more and 
more appreciated, as the increase of their cultivation fully shows. 
Indian Corn. — Its cultivation is receiving greater attention. 
Much more was planted last spring than usual, notwithstanding 
the backwardness of the season. The worm made fearful ravages 
in the early stages of its growth, and in some instances nearly 
destroyed whole pieces. With the exception of a few days and 
nights, the season was a hard one for corn. However, what es- 
caped the worm, matured well, and gave a good harvest. 
Potatoes. — The coolness and general supply of rain, those two 
beautiful auxiliaries, to a good growth of potatoes, w^ere so com- 
mon, that we all thought the crop would escape the sad disease, 
which had visited it in some of the last previous years, and these 
hopes were fully realized, until the season had well nigh worn 
away. True, we heard some slight intimations of its approach in 
August, but the rumor died away, and until the middle of Sep- 
tember we heard no more of it, when fears became realities, and 
its ravages became in the latter part of that month, and until the 
middle of October, without a precedent. Some fields were so 
badly smitten, as to be left entirely undug, while in others enough 
healthy ones were found, merely to repay the laborer for the toil 
of digging. Sixty bushels to the acre, was deemed a great crop, 
and was a maximum attained but by fcw% Lands most liberally 
supplied with the hot fermenting manures, as a general thing 
fared the worst, while dry and apparently barren lands gave crops 
which exceeded the expectations of cultivators. Of varieties, the 
Carters and Mercers seemed its greatest favorites, while the coarser 
varieties, like those designated the Long Johns, seemed almost 
invulnerable to its attacks. The culture of potatoes looks now 
like a labor-losing and hopeless employment, and although it may 
be well to raise more beets, carrots, and turnips, (which have all 
yielded good crops,) for feeding, we have no idea of wholly giving 
up the potato, but feel sure that the evils attending its cultivation 
