330 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
ground heavily with stable manure, and the result is that 
the trees bear annually fine crops of fruit, not in the least 
subject to the rot. 
Lucerne. —If J. W. J. of Westbrook, N. C., will re¬ 
peruse the article on the culture of Lucerne, Sept. No. p. 
173, he will find the information he asks for. It is to be 
sown in drills (not hills) or rows—the rows to be ten 
inches apart. Sown in this way, ten pounds of seed will 
be sufficient for an acre. 
The American Farmer. —The publisher of this well 
known paper, Mr. S. Sands, being about to engage in the 
publication of a daily journal, offers the Farmer establish¬ 
ment for sale. It affords a favorable opportunity for a 
gentleman who has a taste for agricultural pursuits, to 
engage in their promotion, with profit to himself and ad¬ 
vantage to the public. Address Mr. S. Sands, Baltimore. 
The Crops in Alabama. —Extract of a letter from Dr. 
N. B. Cloud, dated La Place, Maeon county, Sept. 30: 
—“ The crops in this county the present season may be 
considered upon the whole as good—both cotton and 
corn. We experienced a most injurious drouth in the 
early part of summer, which we supposed for a while had 
cut the crop shor at least one half, but in this we shall 
be mistaken, as the crop is gathering well. In the prai¬ 
rie lands, the wet since the drouth, and the worm and 
rust consequent thereupon, have produced considerable 
damage, which has not been the case upon the sand 
lands to but a very limited extent. The new crop is sell¬ 
ing in Montgomery at from 6 to 6^ cents per lb. No 
new corn selling—50 cents per bushel is being asked.” 
At page 88, vol. 10, of the Cultivator, Dr. C. will find 
the recipe for making stucco whitewash, which he in¬ 
quires for. 
Encouragement to Silk Growers.—M. Van 
Schaack, Esq., of New-York, has proposed to give 
$1,000 to the American Institute, to be awarded as pre¬ 
miums, in sums of $100 annually, to encourage the growth 
of silk. 
Good Cotton. —The Macon (Ala.) Republican of Oct. 
10, says—“ We have in our office a single limb of a cot¬ 
ton stalk, which has on it sixteen bolls! It was sent us 
from the plantation of Col. Whiting Oliver, of this 
county. We have never seen its match.” 
DISEASE IN POTATOES. 
We have numerous accounts of the “ rot ” in potatoes. 
It is, however, much more prevalent in some districts 
prevails more extensively. In many instances the crop 
will be lost—whole fields are abandoned as not worth 
gathering. Our correspondent states that on his farm, 
“ the potatoes are large and abundant, but when dry, 
three-fourths of them are more or less decayed, emit¬ 
ting a fetid odor, truly sickening.” “I find,” he ob¬ 
serves, “ on most of them, a small fungus, in appearance 
like a bluish mould, ami those that are close to each 
other in the hill, unite and become one mass of fetid mat¬ 
ter.” From considerable inquiry, he has come to the 
conclusion that all sorts, and all varieties of potatoes, 
are equally effected, “though some fields much more 
than others.” He thinks “ those planted in the richest 
soils, have perhaps suffered a little worse than those on 
poorer lands.” Between early and late planting, he can 
not perceive much difference. 
“ J. D. F.” suggests that the cause of this defect “ may 
be found in our seed having been planted too long with¬ 
out change.” He continues, “ if this is the case, the re¬ 
medy must be in procuring seed potatoes from a distance. 
Should I live, I intend to procure some both from Ire¬ 
land and North Scotia. Perhaps potatoes raised from the 
seed of the potatoe-ball would do better. Will some of 
your correspondents give through the Cultivator the pro¬ 
cess of saving the seed and planting?” 
We shall not be in haste to advance theories on this 
subject, but shall collect all the facts in our power, and 
lay them before our readers. In relation to the commu¬ 
nication of “ J. D. F.” we would remark that the idea 
of the disease having originated in the degeneracy of va¬ 
rieties from age, has been before advanced by oth¬ 
ers; but for our own part we cannot think facts support 
such a conclusion. Numerous instances might be cited, 
where those kinds which have suffered most, have been 
those which were produced from tne ball within a few 
years, and many of the kinds which have been least af¬ 
fected, are the oldest known in the country. The dis¬ 
ease may be called an epidemic, and in reference to it vv e 
feel warranted in laying down the following as facts. 
First —that certain localities or neighborhoods have 
been more subject to it than others. Second —that al¬ 
though the blast of the tops (in the same variety) seems 
quite general on all descriptions of soil where the dis¬ 
ease prevails, yet the decay of the tube s more frequently 
occurs on wet and heavy, than on light or loamy soils. 
Third, that certain kinds of potatoes, which have been 
generally known as less hardy than others, are the first to 
be affected, and that other and more hardy kinds are more 
exempt from attack; but in the most infected districts,. 
’ T . ,, \ r the malady may affect all—corresponding in this respect 
than in others. In a late visit to the easterly part of ' . . J f ° * 
_ •' 1 onmmr online k Vinmn or*/* rr»r%i»o 
Massachusetts, we found very little complaint of thisma 
lady. In some cases the vines have blasted, lv; ! the tu¬ 
bers, excepting on very wet and heavy land, • where 
planted late, have not much rotted. As to the original 
cause, we are still about as much in the dark as ever. 
Mr. Teschmacher, of Boston, and some others, think the 
decay is occasioned by a fungus, but what produces the 
fungus, is not yet ascertained. Some peculiar atmosphe¬ 
ric influence has undoubtedly been the remote cause of 
the defect. The necessary agency of electricity in ani¬ 
mal and vegetable life, is well known; but what partic¬ 
ular combinations, states or conditions of this element, 
are essential to the development or continuance of this 
life, we know not. It is evident, however, that any un¬ 
usual variation of so important a principle, would sensi¬ 
bly affect vegetation. 
Our accounts from Europe, state that the disease has 
been more or less prevalent in many parts of that conti¬ 
nent for four or five years. There is an elaborate article 
on the subject in the last number of the Quarterly Jour¬ 
nal of Agriculture, but nothing particularly new or im¬ 
portant is brought out. The rot is said to assume a va¬ 
ried character, and its different forms are designated as 
the “Wet and Dry rot.” 
We have received from a correspondent at West- 
Schuyler, Herkimer county, who signs “J. D. F.” an 
article from which we condense the following. 
The disease first made its appearance in that neighbor¬ 
hood last year, about the beginning of October, but did 
not much aflect the potatoes until after they were dug. 
This season, the decay commenced much earlier, and 
to epidemics among animals. Some are more predis¬ 
posed to the disease than others, yet where it assumes the- 
Imost malignant form, all may be swept off. 
In relation to raising potatoes from the ball, we have 
several times produced them in this way. We have ge¬ 
nerally obtained several varieties from the same planting 
of balls—some of which were worthy of cultivation, 
and some nearly worthless. The same rule prevails here 
as in raising apples from seed—among many worthless 
kinds, we get, occasionally, a superior one. 
The balls should be gathered in the fall, from which 
the seeds may be washed and dried, or the balls may be 
kept in the cellar all winter, and planted in good mellow 
soil in the spring. When fairly up, they may be care¬ 
fully transplanted in rows two feet apart, anil eightinch- 
es in the row, well hoed and kept clean from weeds. 
Some of them, if the season is good, and they are well 
managed, will grow to the size of hen-s eggs the first 
season. At the time of digging, sort out the varieties, 
and plant them separately the next spring. The respec¬ 
tive qualities of the different kinds, can be told pretty 
accurately the second season, when such as it is advisa¬ 
ble to preserve, may be adopted, and the others rejected. 
In Mr. Norton's letter from Europe, in this number, 
will be found some interesting remarks on the subject of 
the disease in potatoes. 
Mr. T. R. Stackhouse, of Jefferson county, informs us 
that where his potaloe-vines were struck with rust, he 
found the potatoes much more likely to be affected with 
rot, and those tubers were mostaflected thatcame nearest, 
in contact with the stalk. 
