1852. 
THE CULTIVATOR. 
175 
The Potato—Its Culture and Diseases. 
Messrs. Editors — I am well aware that the “ po¬ 
tato rot” has become a hackneyed and exhausted sub¬ 
ject. I have no intention of undertaking to say what 
causes the rot, or what will cure it, but simply to 
give the result of my experience the past season, and 
perhaps add a few remarks on the crops of others, which 
have fallen under my observation, and let others draw 
their inferences. 
First, then, we say, that last spring we had but very 
little confidence in planting any potatoes at all, in ex¬ 
pectation of a crop. We, however, plowed a small 
piece of sward land in April, and immediately planted 
it with early potatoes. This was a warm, dry loam, 
resting on limestone. No manure was applied, and no 
rot affected the crop. Yield very good. 
Second. A few days later we plowed another small 
piece where potatoes were raised the year previous. Soil, 
sub-strata, and management, the same. Avery few rot¬ 
ten ones were found here. 
The third parcel were planted around a corn-field, 
which was in clover the previous year. Soil, dry 
loam, lying on hard pan. Plowed late in April, and 
planted the middle of May. No manure applied. The 
variety planted here were peach blows, which were dug 
in October. On the headlands, where the teams turned 
in plowing, and of course trod the ground into greater 
compactness than in other parts of the field, a portion 
of rotten potatoes were found; in other parts none. 
Our fourth experiment was on a piece of old meadow. 
Soil, a loam, inclining to clay, resting on, and very 
near limestone. Land plowed, harrowed, and planted, 
early in June. Potatoes hoed once. Crop dug 15th of 
October, and none rotten. No manure was applied to 
this piece. 
Our next, and last experiment, was on a piece of black • 
loam, in a low meadow. Subsoil, clay. Land plowed, 
harrowed, and planted without manure in June. The 
crop, which was good, was harvested near the close of 
September. No rot. The dry weather probably con¬ 
tributed much to the benefit of this last crop, for had 
the summer been rainy, the ground would have been 
miry to the subsoil, while, as the season was, it was light 
and*friable from the 20th of July. 
Thus much for our own experience with the potato 
crop the last season—and from it we derive the fact that 
early or late planting is not productive of the rot, nor 
remedial of its consequences. We also find that light, 
porous soils are the best, as in such soils no rottenness 
was found—while in the same soil, rendered compact by 
the trampling of animals, the plague commenced. Hence, 
we venture to inquire, if thorough and frequent sub-soil¬ 
ing, after underdraining, which latter will have a ten¬ 
dency to equalize the moisture, may not be beneficial or 
effectual, in stopping the disease. 
The influence of manures in this matter, is worthy of 
consideration. A neighbor, who planted early, to ena¬ 
ble his crop to escape the rot, on a dry, limestone soil, 
manuring in the hill with common yard manure, found 
the disease at work the latter part of August, and early 
in September he dug all, with a loss of a large propor¬ 
tion. Many similar results were seen, which leads to the 
conclusion, that the use of such manures in potato cul¬ 
ture, must be abandoned. Yet we are confident, that 
loose, unfermenting manures, such as straw, swingle tow, 
and indeed litter of almost any kind, may be applied 
with good effect. Yours truly, W. Bacon. Elmwood , 
Jan., 1852. -—■ 
Messrs. Editors — I too should like to say a very few 
words on the potato disease. This subject has engrossed 
the public mind for many a year, and the truth of the 
cause of the disease in question, is now as far from being 
settled, according to my humble opinion, as it was on the 
first day of its appearance. 
A writer in the N. E. Farmer of September 13, 1851, 
says, “ The cure of the rot, if ever found, will most 
likely be the result of scientific investigation and experi¬ 
ment. Harvey discovered the circulation of the blood, 
and Sir Humphrey Davy invented the safety lamp; and 
if the cause and cure of the potato rot are ever ascer¬ 
tained by the living men of New England, we venture to 
predict it will be by such men as Dr. C. T. Jackson, 
Dr. Harris and Mr. Teschmaker. 77 
This prediction may prove true, and thanks to a high¬ 
er power, it may not prove true. u The race is not to 
the swift, nor the battle to the strong—but time and 
chance happeneth to them all. 77 
I have watched the progress of the potato disease for 
ten years, and I have read the writings, I should think, 
of some hundreds—and what is very remarkable, no two 
of that number have agreed on the cause or cure of this 
formidable disease. And I am pleased to know, and say, 
that the subject is still open for discussion. And I am 
not one that thinks no great truth can be discovered, ex¬ 
cept by the master minds of the age—far be it from nte 
to subscribe to such a doctrine—truth is mighty, and it 
is said, quaintly, that her seat was in the bottom of the 
well—then why may not some honest Jonathan, with his 
bucket or grappling-iron, draw her up. 
The potato in South America, where it is indigenous, 
is never diseased. Now if this be a fact, what is the in¬ 
ference? That the potato in North America is an exotic, 
and needs special care and protection to bring it to ma¬ 
turity. Has it had a common care, or the least protec- 
tection against a worse enemy than man, that of early 
frosts on the vines? The farmer has not been particular 
in planting early, in selecting the best seed, nor in his 
choice of the best varieties for his use-—but has thought 
the potato, like the sunshine and rain, was such a com¬ 
mon blessing, that he considered it no blessing at all— 
until he was fearful he should lose it. 
It is hardly worth while to say that in the potato fami¬ 
ly, there are a great many varieties—some coming to 
maturity in four months, some in five, and some again 
would require six months and perhaps a longer time. 
The Long Red or the La Platte potato, which has not 
been in this country fifty years, has never yet found a 
season long enough in New England to mature the tu¬ 
bers, although they have grown to a great size, and for 
many years were the farmer’s hope for fattening cattle 
and swine. What farmer boy is there, that cannot well 
remember the effect of the first hard frost in September, 
on the Red potato vine—on the certain death of the vines, 
from top to bottom—and all the black , green , and blue 
bugs between this and Nova Scotia, could not have done 
the work so effectually, in a month, as Jack Frost had 
done at one visitation. Now just remember that this 
casaulty has been an annual visitation—there has been 
no exception to the rule—the Long Red potato has never 
ripened its fruit—and yet these potatoes have been taken 
and planted for seed, again and again, without any ma¬ 
terial sign of decay until within about ten j'ears—since 
that time they have been sadly diseased. The only won¬ 
der is, that thej 7 ' have shown such tenacity of endurance, 
and that they did not flare up ten years before. I sup¬ 
pose all will agree with me in this one item, that when 
the vines are killed, the potato ceases to grow. Then, 
for the sake of the argument, I admit, that the Long 
Red potato has never had a season more than half or two 
thirds the length that it required to bring to full perfec¬ 
tion the tubers—and what must be the result of this long 
course of planting half grown and half ripe potatoes, but 
an entire failure sooner or later. Does it need a e: ghost 
from the vasty deep to tell us of this self-evident fact 77 — 
that “ like begets like? 77 This when reduced to plain 
English, means, that if you plant imperfect seed, you 
will get imperfect fruit. 
There are a few varieties, such as the old English 
White, a small black potato, and perhaps some others, 
appear to ripen their tubers before the early frosts ap¬ 
pear—these perhaps have become acclimated, therefore, 
have not had this frosty ordeal to go through that most 
of the others have had. 
The next question that suggests itself—what is the re¬ 
medy? And is there any? Yes, there is a remedy—we 
must go back to first principles. Begin denovo, must be 
the only certain remedy. Import from South America, 
such varieties, and such only as require a short season 
there, and plant them early in this country, and if the 
