September S, 1891. ] 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
193 
!'5lgg5T 
THE POTATO DISEASE 
AND REMEDIES. 
= -+- 
<3uy>)$ I 
Ls 
E ROM various parts of the country we hear that Potatoes are 
smitten with the destructive murrain, and it is feared that 
many crops of tubers are practically destroyed. The prolonged 
wet is the initial cause of the outbreak, and it would probably have 
occurred sooner if the temperature had been higher. The month 
just closed was the coldest August that has been experienced for 
twenty years; and close observation in the past has shown that 
the destruction of the Potato crops was the most rapid and 
complete if a high temperature prevailed when the soil and the air 
were continuously wet, approaching saturation. It has been 
noticed in the great Potato growing districts, when the disease was 
so virulent many years ago, and crops left in the ground as not 
worth digging, that some of the tubers grew in the autumn, and 
that the growths from these remained free from the fungoid 
visitant, though water was standing between the rows. This 
immunity was presumably due to the low temperature that pre¬ 
vailed at the time, and it is certainly a fact that rows of young 
Potato growths springing from the ridges in October have 
remained without a speck of disease on them till they were 
killed by frost, while within the ground were thousands of 
decaying tubers—a veritable mass of corruption. It has also 
been observed that when the plants have been first attacked in 
summer that the progress of the disease was slow when the 
temperature fell, and quick when it increased. This probably 
gave rise to the supposition by some persons that it was caused 
by electricity, as it spread, like the scourge it is, when thunder 
prevailed, the weather close and warm, and the ground and plants 
were reeking with moisture. It may reasonably be supposed 
therefore that the growth of the fungus has been to some 
extent held in check this year by the low temperature that 
prevailed during the wet month of August. However, the 
murrain is prevalent now, and if wet and warmth prevail will 
spread with great rapidity. Probably nothing can save many 
crops but a term of distinctly dry weather which is urgently 
needed. 
Some varieties of Potatoes are less liable to fall victims than 
others to the attacking foe, because of their inherent vigour, and 
the firmness of the stems and leaves. Many raisers of Potatoes 
have done incalculable service in the production and distribution 
of varieties far more disease-resisting in their nature than the 
“ good old sorts ” of a former time ; also cultivators have become 
more alive than formerly to the necessity for careful seed and 
land preparation, a3 well as to the applicability of manures 
appropriate to the crop and the soil, while the advantage of 
wider planting has been to a large extent realised. The estab¬ 
lishment of fungoid growths in plants is to an appreciable degree 
a question of epidermal resistance. The spores no doubt fall on 
stout and thin leaves alike, but the young and tender stems and 
leaves of Vines, Roses, Apples, and Potatoes are the first to be 
infested with parasitical growths. 
That the texture of the growth of Potatoes is influenced by the 
soil is apparent. Those grown in land that is much too destitute of 
mineral matter, as in fens and drained bogs, produce leaves much 
softer and more vulnerable to the enemy than do the plants which 
are batter fortified with mineral constituents ; and therefore we 
first hear of the disease outbreak where the soil is little more 
No. 584.— Vol. XXIII., Third Series. 
than a mass of black, wet humus. Also the more the plants are 
crowded, and air consequently excluded from the leaves, the 
weaker these must be and the sooner taken possession of by the 
devastating “host.” It would be well if all growers of Potatoes 
would, as some of them do, think of these things, and thus do all 
that is in their power to produce full, clean crops, or in other 
words make the best of the good varieties that are provided to 
resist the disease. 
During the present season experiments are being made on 
farms and in gardens with different supposed antidotes to mildew 
on Potatoes and other crops. Preparations of sulphate of copper 
and quicklime, bouillie borclelaise, also of sulphate of iron and quick¬ 
lime, are applied in solution. In some carefully conducted ex¬ 
periments by a scientific and practical farmer we are informed that 
the latter, though keeping the Potato disease at bay for a time, 
eventually became ineffective ; but up to the present time the 
former dressing has proved efficacious. Preparations of sulphate 
of copper and quicklime are also prepared in the form of fine 
powder, and applied with a puff or bellows. We have only had 
an opportunity of inspecting some experiments that have been 
carried out with one of these anti-blights—Messrs. Tait and 
Buchanan’s, as supplied by Mr. Peter Barr, and the results up to 
the present time are highly satisfactory and encouraging. 
A few days ago a letter came from an old friend of the Journal 
and veteran Potato raiser, Mr. Robert Fenn, in which he said, 
“ The disease is smiting me hip and thigh, but with more powder 
I shall conquer. Come and see ; it will be worth your while.” 
The invitation was accepted and Mr. Fenn’s work inspected. 
Exactly opposite the entrance to one of his fields were three rows 
of Potatoes in full growth, and only in about one plant could 
evidence of disease be seen ; but stretching along each side of these 
three rows all the tops were blackened. Digging up several roots 
the tubers were found sound in the three rows mentioned, diseased 
in the others. The variety was the same, Eliza Fenn, and the 
cultivation throughout identical, except that the three green rows 
had been several times dressed with the powder, while the others 
had not. The contrast was most striking, and the benefits of the 
powder conclusive. He can secure a good sound crop of Potatoes 
at any time from the dressed rows, but seems to enjoy the fight 
with the enemy, and disposed to allow the combat to continue till 
the mastery is completely proved one way or the other. 
Passing alongside of a long stretch of decaying leaves and 
stems another green oasis was arrived at—eight rows of Fifty fold 
which had been dressed, and the plants generally clean and healthy ; 
only a few specks of the fungus were on them, but the undressi d 
rows were blackened. Digging amongst the dressed rows good 
crops of sound tubers were turned out, and one diseased tuber 
from a plant that had a few blackened leaves ; but from the 
undressed rows in some instances half the tubers were tainted, and 
several quite rotten. These trials were in the field. A blacksmith's 
garden was visited with the soil is black and deep. The powder 
had been applied to a plot of Sutton’s Satisfaction and Windsor 
Castle. The leaves were fresh, and every root lifted gave a 
splendid crop of clean beautifully shaped tubers. 
Mr. Fenn’s garden containing new and favourite older varieties 
was next examined. The soil here is richer than in the field, and 
the Potatoes had grown luxuriantly. “ There ! ” exclaimed the 
veteran, “ you can find nothing like this in the neighbourhood ; 
and if the sight is not worth coming from London to see, I don’t 
know what is. Look at my Woodstock Kidney there ; one of the 
best quality Potatoes, but worst ‘ diseasers ’ known ; but where is 
the disease now ? ” There was absolutely not a speck, but the 
stems were creeping along the ground and the leaves of the richest 
healthiest green. Rector of Woodstock, which is notorious for 
taking the disease, was also free. Fenn’s New Bountiful yielded 
an enormous crop, and every tuber sound. Precisely the same 
remarks apply to Dora, a new pebble-shaped red variety, and to 
No. 2240.— Vol. LXXXV., Old Series. 
