92 
THE CULTIVATOR. March. 
POTATO WASHER. 
The extensive prevalence of the potato disease in 
England, has called out ingenuity in combining ma¬ 
chines for washing 
the roots preparato¬ 
ry to their manu¬ 
factory into starch 
flour. One of the 
best is. represented 
in the annexed fig¬ 
ure, and may prove 
useful to those who 
adopt the very pro¬ 
per practice of wash- 
all their roots, be¬ 
fore giving them to 
their domestic ani¬ 
mals. 
Fig. 27. It is like the cylin¬ 
der churn, with cross bars so close, that none but the 
smallest potatoes can fall through. The trough is filled 
with water, and by the revolution of the cylinder, the 
roots are soon made clean. Chains fastened to the 
upper extremities of the inclined posts, are then hooked 
into eyes in the axle of the cylinder, and the rotation 
proceeding, the cylinder is lifted out of water, and roll¬ 
ing up the posts, is brought by the inclined position of 
the latter, directly over a wheelbarroiv or hand-cart 
placed beside the trough, when the trap door being 
opened, the roots are at once emptied into it. 
Carrots and all other roots given to horses, should 
without fail be first washed clean; and the practice 
should not be omitted for cattle and sheep. 
THE POTATO DISEASE. 
While it can only be tiresome to every reader to 
publish the numerous conflicting and unsatisfactory state¬ 
ments and opinions on this subject, it may perhaps be 
interesting to present to our readers a brief abstract of 
the communication of the government commissioners to 
Ireland. This commission consisted of Professors Kane, 
Lindley, and Playfair, who stand high among the 
first chemists and physiologists of Europe. At the re¬ 
quest of the British government, they made a laborious 
and thorough examination. 
In adverting to the theory, of the difficulty being 
originally caused by a fungus of the genus Botrytis, 
W'hich is supported by the fact that it is always or near¬ 
ly always found with greater or less distinctness in 
diseased specimens, they give it as their decided opin¬ 
ion that this theory as yet remains at best doublful; 
among other reasons for this they say, “We are also 
unable to reconcile with the theory of the potato 
disease being caused by parasitical fungi, the remarka¬ 
ble fact, that, in its present form, it is certainly of 
modern origin. That it may always have existed is 
possible, though of this we have no proof; but at least 
there can be no doubt that it has only manifested itself 
to any considerable degree, within the last few years. 
We cannot suppose the Botrytis, which observers find 
to be the kind of fungus that attacks the potato, to be 
of recent creation. We must assume it to have been 
co-existent with the potato itself; and therefore we 
must conclude that some recent causes have come into 
operation favorable to its increase to the present alarm¬ 
ing degree.” 
Without pretending to decide the cause, they suggest 
its connection with the cold, cloudy, and ungenial 
weather of the past season in the north of Europe; they 
allude to the fact that the potato is a native of a warm, 
dry, and sunny country; and that the disease is un¬ 
known at Genoa, Marseilles, and other places of south¬ 
ern Europe. Among the mass of conflicting evidence 
they have obtained, they consider the following facts 
established:— 
te 1st. That potatoes planted early in the season are 
more healthy than those planted later. 
“2d. That the crop has suffered less in dry, elevated, 
sandy districts, where the inflence of the season was 
mitigated by the slowness of growth, or compensated 
for, by the natural warmth of the soil. 
“3d. That the late varieties of potatoes are more 
diseased than the early ones. 
“4th. That the present disease seems to be confined 
to the northern parts of Europe and North America, and 
to be unknown in the countries to the southward.” 
They recommend autumn or early winter planting, 
crops so treated having been unusually productive, and 
remarkably free from disease. This would do well for 
the mild winters of England and Ireland, but would not 
answer for the northern states of America. The depth 
planted was about six inches. 
They disprove by facts the opinion that old varieties 
are more affected; but state that some varieties are 
much tenderer than others, and remark that the “Irish 
cup ” has best resisted the attacks of the disease. They 
recommend sound seed for planting, or if diseased, that 
they be rendered green in the sun; that fresh gronnd be 
chosen, or that where a diseased crop has not been ta¬ 
ken: and that the land and the seed both be well limed. 
The preceding are the principal points of their re¬ 
port, which was made late in autumn, and in which 
they admit that a great deal is involved in uncertainty. 
They are to pursue their investigations further. 
CULTURE OF SPRING GRAINS. 
SPRING WHEAT. 
There are many sections where spring wheats are the 
only varieties that can be cultivated to advantage. In 
all places where snow accumulates to a great depth, the 
success of winter wheat is rendered uncertain, owing to 
the liability of its being winter-killed. In such cases, 
the farmer resorts to spring wheat as the best substitute 
at command, and in many cases it gives a return, which, 
both for quantity and quality, leaves no cause for dissat¬ 
isfaction. Spring wheat is said to contain a larger pro¬ 
portion of gluten than winter wheat, and it has hence 
been inferred that bread made from the former is more 
nutritious. According to the analysis of Sir H. Davy: 
Gluten. Starch. 
100 parts of the best Sicilian wheat con¬ 
tained,. 21 75 
100 parts of spring wheat, of 1804,. 24 70 
100 parts of good English wheat, of 1803 19 77 
Preparation of the soil, quantity of seed, and time of 
sowing .—Spring wheat is usually cultivated on land that 
has been occupied the preceding year by some hoed 
crop—corn, potatoes, &c. Where there is no danger 
of the attack of the fly, which works in the head, (the 
Cecidomyia tritici,) it is best to sow the crop as early as 
the state of the ground will admit, or as soon as it is 
fairly free from frost. One good plowing is sufficient— 
in fact we have known excellent crops produced by 
working the ground thoroughly with a cultivator har¬ 
row, the feet or teeth of which penetrate the ground 
and pulverize it to the depth of several inches. Manure 
is not usually applied for this crop. Long or unfer¬ 
mented manure tends to rust the straw, and on this ac¬ 
count it is only applied to the crop of the previous 
year, and then it becomes so far decomposed as to be in 
a proper state for the wheat. The seed is usually sown 
on the furrow, and well harrowed in. The quantity 
sown, per acre, is generally two bushels. 
Varieties. —The kinds held in the greatest estimation 
in this country, are the Black Sea, Italian, and the Tea 
wheat. Of these, the Black Sea is the most hardy, and 
generally gives the best yield. This valuable variety 
was first brought into notice in this country by Payson 
Williams, Esq., of Fitchburg, Mass., some twenty-five 
years since, and it has now become widely disseminated. 
It is said to have been originally brought from the 
shores of the Black Sea, in Asia. The Kennebec (Me.) 
Agricultural Society, have made several importations of 
wheat from the Black Sea. The impression prevailed 
a few years since that the kind introduced by Mr. Wil¬ 
liams had declined in productiveness, and the society 
