22 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
f'AN, 
cheap and expeditious. We run two fences angling 
from the stream where we wash, to guide the sheep at 
the terminus; we build a platform over the river; then 
by the aid of our dogs run them over this plaftorm as fast 
as possible to give motion to the water. They are 
obliged to swim about four rods to strike the opposite 
bank. Then return them across a shallow place below, 
where they can wade the stream. We jump them off 
this plank work into the river three or four times, till 
we are satisfied they are thoroughly cleansed. In this 
manner, we might, with two men and two dogs, wash 
ten thousand, if at hand, in one day. 
We cut wild prairie hay from lands owned by go¬ 
vernment and speculators who do not occupy. On 
contract it is delivered in our yards at one dollar each ; 
ton. 
The yearly cost of keeping our sheep cannot be over 
thirty cents per head. One boy we employ the year 
at eight dollars a month. He has the sole charge of the ; 
flock with the aid of two shepherd’s dogs, which we J 
could not do without. They aid in yarding them 
nights, and keep off the small prairie wolf. 
A Scotchman by the name of Mitchel, raises and 
trains these shepherd dogs from a pair of Scotch collies, 
imported by Murray & Co. He sells his puppies at 
abotit four dollars each. 
Yours, &c., Truman & Isaac Harvey. 
Lasalle, Illinois, Sept. 25th, 1845. 
THE POTATO ROT. 
Mr. Editor —Although a farmer on rather a limited 
scale, it has fallen to my lot to make a few observations 
relative to the disease called the rot in potatoes, which, 
were they published, I have thought might be of ser¬ 
vice to some of the agricultural community. 
In 1844, I planted potatoes on three different parts of 
the farm on which I am situated. From part of one 
small field, consisting chiefly of a loose, gravelly soil, I 
obtained about eighty bushels of potatoes. And among 
these eighty bushels there were probably near a peck 
of rotten ones. And almost all of these grew on a part 
of the field which was lower than the rest of it, and 
where the soil consists, to a considerable extent, of 
loam and clay. The field I have been describing, was 
plowed twice before planting; and in that, as well as 
in the subsequent work among the potatoes, it was my 
aim to work when the land was in a sufficiently dry 
state to pulverise well. 
On another part of the farm which is nearly level, 
and where the soil consists to a much greater extent of 
loam and clay, than the field I have just described, I 
obtained nearly thirty bushels of potatoes, and out of 
thirty bushels, there were probably as many as one 
bushel of rotten ones. The land for these potatoes 
was also plowed twice ; and care was also taken to work 
the land when dry enough to pulverise. 
From a part of the farm which consists chiefly of a 
side-hill of a loose, gravelly soil, I obtained as many 
as seventy-five bushels of potatoes; and out of these 
seventy-five bushels, there were probably not to exceed 
four quarts of rotten ones. And what rotten ones there 
were, were almost wholly on a part of the field which 
is nearer level than the rest, and where the soil con¬ 
sists to a greater extent of loam and clay than the other 
parts of it. The seed potatoes planted on the last men¬ 
tioned piece, were many of them of the same sorts as 
those which rotted so badly in the small and nearly level 
piece I have before described. 
A part of the growing season of 1844, was unusually 
hot and wet. And these are probably among the causes 
why so many potatoes rotted that season. From my 
own experience, and from observations I made this sea¬ 
son, (1844,) I came to the conclusion that light, loose 
soils, and thorough plowings, are among the best means 
of obtaining potatoes free from the rot. And at the 
same time it may be said, that rich soils, with such 
management, are well adapted to withstand any ordina¬ 
ry drouth. 
This season, (1845,) the disease among potatoes has 
assumed a somewhat different aspect in this region of 
country from what it presented in 1844. In many cases 
the potatoes which at digging time appeared to be 
sound, have rotted after being buried in the field, or put 
in cellars. And while I do not dispute that this result 
is in some degree attributable to the varieties of pota¬ 
toes used for seed, yet my observation leads me to be¬ 
lieve that much of it is to be charged to the wet, heavy 
state of the lands on which the crops were raised. And 
the following is one of my reasons for believing so. 
This season I planted near one acre of potatoes on 
land which consists almost wholly of a light, loose soil. 
The ground was plowed three times before planting, 
which rendered it so finely pulverized that the heavy 
rains of the latter part of the summer had an opportu¬ 
nity to leach down so as not to remain in a superabund¬ 
ant quantity near the top of the ground. Out of this 
acre of potatoes there were probably not to exceed two 
quarts of rotten ones; while some of my neighbors 
who planted their potatoes on partially pulverized, and 
wet, heavy land, had many of theirs rot, although they 
had in part, the same kind of seed that I planted. 
S. S. G. 
Sandlake, N. Y.. Nov., 1845. 
Mr. Editor —The potato disease occupies so much 
of the public attention every where, that the experi¬ 
ence and observation of individuals may lead to a solu¬ 
tion of this mystery. 
Last year we lost but few by the rot. This year but 
few have escaped. We have lost upwards of 1,000 
bushels already. I have examined the various fields 
about us, and find there is little or no perceptible differ¬ 
ence as to soil. The disease has shown itself in every 
variety of soil in Western New-York where the potato 
grows. 
Still I am not discouraged, nor do I believe there is 
any more danger of the extinction of the species than 
of wheat. My own impression is that it is caused by 
the peculiar state of the atmosphere, and that the evil 
may be cured in two ways— 
1. By early planting, and by using only the early va¬ 
rieties. 
2. By cutting the stems or vines as soon as the blight 
or rust shows itself. 
So far as my observation extends, the disease is anala- 
gous to the rust in wheat. It has been shown in a great 
number of cases, by actual experiment, that if wheat 
be cut as soon as the rust strikes the stalk, the loss is 
much less than when suffered to stand until it is ripe. 
If allowed to stand, the kernel becomes light and 
shrunken, yielding but little beyond bran. The disease 
appears in both instances in the stalk first, and the de¬ 
struction of the farina in the tuber and the berry, are 
but the result of the destruction of the stalk by the dis¬ 
ease. It is a species of gangrene which can only be ar¬ 
rested by severing the limb as soon as it appears. The 
remedy has been quite successful in wheat, and I have 
no doubt will be equally so with roots. I am the more 
inclined to this belief from an occurrence in my imme¬ 
diate vicinity. A neighbor had some potatoes planted 
in a very mucky piece of land, a reclaimed swamp; be¬ 
ing in low ground an early frost killed the vines. Some 
of his potatoes have rotted, while those near by, but 
upon drier ground, and where the vines were not injur¬ 
ed by the frost, have been seriously injured. It was not 
the soil, for others in like soil, but not reached by the 
frost, have been destroyed. Again our early potatoes 
which we grow in the market garden, have not been 
affected; and generally the early varieties have suffered 
the least. I can hear of none that have been diseased 
where the vines died before the blight struck them. 
It may be that ours is only an exception; I mention 
the facts for the purpose of drawing out others on the 
same subject. 
My facts are truth: my inferences may go for what 
they are worth. Sincerely yours, 
T. C. Peters. 
Darien, N. Y., Dec. 12, 1845. 
