148 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[April, 
Sod will be tested in that respect here. In England 
It is much valued for pot culture. When this 
Montbrettia becomes better known, we have no 
doubt it will be generally cultivated, as it has all 
foe qualities which should make a plant popular. 
The Potato “Mammoth PearL” 
A few years ago, earliness was the quality most 
Sought for in anew potato, and it was regarded as 
the highest praise to say that a variety was “ a week 
SSrlier than the Early Rose.” Earliness is desir¬ 
able, but it is only one of the good qualities a 
potato should possess. Ready steam communica¬ 
tion has nearly obliterated our “ times and seasons” 
for vegetables, and so far as putting new potatoes 
On the market goes, that is done by the southern 
THE NEW POTATO “ MAMMOTH PEARL 
grower, who will anticipate the northern market 
farmer weeks before he can dig his potatoes, 
SJO matter how early they may be. In fact, new 
potatoes appear in the New York market, be¬ 
fore the New Jersey and Long Island growers have 
planted theirs. Of late, potato growers have given 
attention to health, keeping and eating qualities, 
Uniformity of size and productiveness in a variety 
(father than its earliness. Last spring Mr. J. A. 
Everitt sent us a sample of his new variety, the 
’‘Mammoth Pearl,” for trial; they were accompanied 
by claims for a yield that seemed improbable—yet 
the raiser was convinced of their truth for he had 
sent the potatoes to allow us to prove or disprove 
them. Before the potatoes could be planted, a 
horse had got loose in the night and helped him¬ 
self to the “ Mammoth Pearl,” and there were only 
3 few eyes saved from the wreck. These eyes were 
planted, and when the few hills were dug, they, as 
far as they went, bore out the claims for productive¬ 
ness. But one is not justified in recommending a 
potato for general culture from his experience in 
falsing a bushel, though that quantity will allow 
him to judge of the quality. The “Mammoth Pearl” 
?0 large, its general shape is shown in the en¬ 
graving, which is about two-thirds the average 
size. Being usually flattened, no part of the in¬ 
terior is so far from the surface that it does not 
®ook through equally, and when cooked is very 
White and mealy and of excellent quality. The 
Skin is smooth and of remarkable whiteness ; 
circular says, “whitest of any variety.” The 
eyes are few and even with the surface. Its keep¬ 
ing qualities are all that can be desired. In the 
important matter of productiveness the raiser 
makes the claim that it is the “ most productive 
of all varieties grown in America,” and “yielding 
double or triple any ordinary kind.” We might 
regard this as extravagant were it not supported 
by testimonials, in some cases from persons well 
known to us; what they say is supported by our 
own limited experience, so far as it goes, and we 
have no doubt that the “Mammoth Pearl” will take 
a high rank as a cropper. As to season, it is me¬ 
dium early, reaching maturity along in August. 
Rhubarb. —Some thirty years ago, the writer 
procured of Hon. Marshall P. Wilder a few roots 
Of “ Myatts’ Linnaeus ” Rhubarb, and though we 
have since changed residence several times, the 
descendants of the same stock are still in the gar¬ 
den. Rhubarb comes so early in spring; is so 
palatable and wholesome, whether stewed for sauce 
or made into pies, and sells so well in the village 
market, that no good housekeeper can afford to do 
without. As to varieties, after trying several later 
kinds, the “ Myatts’ Linnaeus ” has the preference. 
It is large enough, is of excellent flavor, not too 
acid, easily cultivated, and prolific. A dozen roots 
planted three feet apart each way, will supply an 
ordinary family and leave a surplus to give away or 
sell. The roots ought to be divided in fall or very 
early spring once in four or five years. A single 
eye with a vigorous root will make a large stock in 
a single season. The stalks may be plucked the 
second year, only care should be taken that leaves 
enough remain on the plant 
to keep it in vigorous 
growth. For a new planta¬ 
tion of Rhubarb, select rich 
well drained soil well ex¬ 
posed to the sun. Much of 
the profit of growing it for 
market depends upon its 
earliness. It is a gross feed¬ 
er, and should have abun¬ 
dant supplies of manure 
every fall or spring, forked 
in around the plants. There 
is no danger of making the 
ground too rich. It bears 
forcing well. The season 
may be anticipated three or 
four weeks, by putting a 
common hot-bed frame and 
sashes over the plants 
where they stand. Rhu¬ 
barb comes at a season when the winter apples 
begin to fail and before the strawberries ripen. 
It ought to have a place in all our village and 
farm gardens. It starts with the crocus, and 
is among the earliest plants to welcome the spring. 
The Lettuce Mildew. 
For a number of years the market gardeners in 
some localities have suffered more or less severely 
from the attacks of a mildew on their early or forced 
lettuce. This spring the numerous complaints led 
us to inquire into the trouble, which had reached 
Fig. 1. — SECTION OF LEAF WITH MILDEW. 
such magnitude, that one gardener assured ns that 
it was taking away from him, and those engaged in 
the same business around him, the source of their 
very living. The following circular was addressed 
to many of the leading growers of early lettuce, 
Secretaries of State Horticultural Societies and 
others from whom information could be gained : 
245 Broadway, New York, Jan. 14 th, 1880. 
“Dear Sir .—In order to become more thoroughly 
acquainted with the prevalence of the Lettuce Dis¬ 
Fig. 2.—-TIPS OF BRANCHES. 
ease, the following questions are proposed. It is 
desired that they receive the early attention that 
the importance of the subject demands : 
1. Have you been troubled with any disease of 
your lettuce, and if so to what extent ? 
2. So far as you can judge, what is the nature of 
the disease ? 
8. What part of the plant is first affected, and 
what are the conditions of the weather, soil, etc., 
when the disease prevails ? 
4. Have you tried any remedies ; if so, what, and 
with what results ? 
5. Are some varieties of lettuce more susceptible 
than others ? 
Please add any other information on the subject 
that may not fall under the above questions, and 
greatly oblige, etc.” 
From the responses to these questions we infer 
that the Lettuce Disease is at present confined to 
the Atlantic States, 
and that it is most pre¬ 
valent in those locali¬ 
ties were lettuce has 
been grown upon the 
same ground for a 
considerable length of 
time. There is no 
doubt but that it is a 
fungus, as a micro¬ 
scopic examination of 
the specimens from 
Newark and Jersey 
City both abundantly 
show ; in fact the mil¬ 
dew upon the lettuce is not a new thing, it hav¬ 
ing been described a number of years ago. It first 
manifests itself upon the older and outer leaves 
as a fine frosty coating, soon causing the leaves 
to turn dark-colored, wilt down, and rot away. 
The Lettuce fungus is a near relative of the 
grape mildew, belonging, as it does, to the same 
genus of parasitic pests. In general structure, 
methods of growth, and propagation, it is there¬ 
fore much like that of the mildew of the grape, 
which was fully described in the American Agricul¬ 
turist for September, 1879. It is to be remembered 
that these mildews are exceedingly small, and in 
presenting any illustrations of them they can only 
be those of greatly magnified views. When the 
actual surface of the lettuce leaf is examined with 
a hand lens, the white substance resolves itself into 
a miniature forest of small stems and branches. 
In figure 1 a highly magnified view of a cross 
section of the lettuce leaf is shown, with a single 
mildew branch, passing 
out of a breathing 
pore of the leaf where 
it divides quite regular¬ 
ly and forms a tree-like 
top. The tips of the 
branches are of a pe¬ 
culiar star-like form, 
and from the radiating 
points the spores (or 
seed-like bodies) are 
formed and when ripe 
are easily detached. 
Figure 2 shows a much 
higher magnified view 
of two of these ultimate branches with a single 
separated spore drawn on a still larger scale. 
The portion of the fungus beneath the surface of 
the lettuce leaf consists of winding threads which, 
as they pass between the cells of the lettuce tissue, 
form projections that pass through the cell walls 
and serve as suclcers to absorb the substance of the 
cells. A highly magnified view of a small portion 
of an embedded thread is shown in figure 3. This 
is the real nature of the trouble, a multitude— a 
forest so to speak—of small plants, living upon 
and drawing away the very life of the lettuce. 
In the way of remedies we have, up to the present 
time, but little to suggest. The fact that the 
trouble is in nature very similar to the grape mil¬ 
dew, and that the use of Flowers of Sulphur has 
proved the most effectual in the latter case, it is to 
be presumed that it also is the remedy for the let¬ 
tuce mould. There is this difficulty in the use of 
Sulphur in the ease of lettuce ; the foliage is the 
portion both dusted and eaten, and unless the 
leaves are thoroughly washed—as they ought to 
Fig. 3.—PORTION OF 
FILAMENT. 
