THE COTTAGE GAEDENEK. 
Maucu 17. 
.10 () 
iiuiniior. Truly we cannot be surprised, if we consider, that 
since the time this American plant was brought to Europe 
it lias existed in a perfectly isolated state, without enjoying 
any mutual relation witli kindred plants found in our part 
of tlie vegetable kingdom ; whilst, on Iho other hand, the 
art of Europeans has in all kinds of climates increased the 
production of the I’otato to an intorniinablo extent, carry¬ 
ing it even to such an extent as to exhaust its double 
sex. The product of this matrimonial connexion was most 
surprising. Erom the pairing of two plants a third pro¬ 
ceeded, I’etaining, however, a twofold character, the cha¬ 
racter of each. Their roots, bulbs, and stalks, had grown 
together, so as to bo interwoven one with another in sucii 
a manner that it was very ditiicult to separate tliein ono 
from another when taken out of the ground. The last 
I’otato harvest presented the most interesting results, as 
will appear from what follows. Whilst in my neighbours’ 
holds tho disease prevailed as before, and I myself lost a 
good third part of the Potatoes which I had planted on tho 
borders of the hold in which niy experiments were made, 
to my great surprise I found not among them a single trace 
of the disease, although the whole quantity amounted to 
seven bushels (Matzau). Together with the advantage of 
restored health, we obtained at the same time another 
benefit eijually important, viz., that of a considerable im¬ 
provement in the race of Potatoes. Not only was this new 
breed distinguished for beauty, size, and richness, but the 
general insipidity and mealy taste of Potatoes has been, liy 
the communication of the aromatic flavour and peculiar 
taste of the plants with which they were combined, changed 
into something of a very dilferont kind and of a superior 
(piality. This was most obviously tho case with the Potatoes 
combined with tho Garduus (they tasted like Artichokes). 
In those combined with the Cyclamen, there was a pungent 
taste, as if they had been slightly peppered; in those com¬ 
bined with the Dahlia, there was a sweet taste like sugar; 
whilst the llelianthus imparted to the Potatoes combined 
with it its own agreeable and pecuhar flavour. In respect 
to the management requisite in forming the four above- 
named species of combination, we remark as follows :— 
“1. Tiie I’otatoes aro, as usual, cut into several parts 
before they aro planted (according to the position of the 
so-called eyes), and aro jdaced in the earth quite close to 
the germs of the plants with which they are to be combined. 
Tho bulbs of tho J lolianlhus and the Dahlia aro cut just in 
tho same way as those of the Potato. The bulbs of tho 
Cyclamen alone remain uncut. As the Carduus has nothing 
but a root, tho cut pieces of tho Potato aro only planted 
under its root. 
“2. In tho two harvests, we perceived that the bulbs of 
tho 1 lolianthus were to those of the Potato, in respect to 
number, as .‘1 to 2, whilst those of the Dahlia and Potato 
were equal. Hero wo must observe, that these two plants, 
combined with tho Potato, continued growing without inter¬ 
ruption, as usual, up to the time of blossoming, whilst the 
contrary was the case with the Cyclamen and the Carduus. 
“ .1. But tho combination with tho Cyclamen was the 
most remarkable of all. This wild plant exhibited so little 
of itself, that for a long time I considered tho tidal unsuc¬ 
cessful. Tho same thing happened with the Carduus and 
the Cyclamen, some single loaves of which appeared here 
and there close to tho stalk of tho Potato, but somewhat 
sparingly. But so much tho greater was my astonishment 
when, in digging up tho Potatoes, I found in that very part 
tho finest and most abundant crop : as if both tho said 
)dants saciiftced their growth in favour of that of the Potato, 
file Cyclamen sacrificing still more, even its health as well. 
We perceived, indeed, that each of the Cyclamens had two, 
three, or even four bulbs diseased to such an extent as to 
be rotten. As this disease presented symptoms perfeclly 
similar to those of the Potato disease, we were irresistibly 
led to inquire whether or not the Cyclamen had attracted to 
itself tho very essence of the disease of tho Potato. On 
this occasion 1 delayed not to inipiire of skilful botanists 
whether the Cyclamen, which is generally used in feeding 
cattle and pigs, was subject to this disease, and the answer 
was a unanimous negative. 
“4. As I was accustomed every year to plant a great 
quantity of Cai'duus roots, 1 was induced to combine them 
with Potatoes, tho result of which surprised me the more, 
because they do not belong in tho least to the bulbous 
genus. Just for this very reason, a peculiar result fidlowed, ' 
the combination being succeeded by a purely parasitical life, i 
Tho Potatoes clung so firmly to the Garduus roots, tliat ' 
they actually grow to tlicm, and, as real leeches suck blood, 
extracted out of tho roots all tho juice and flavour. In 
consequence of this, the Potatoes (like parasitical plants) i 
not only attained the utmost development, both in respect ! 
to size and beauty, but what was very remarkable, scarcely 
had any roots of their own which they struck out. Hero, 
on the hypothesis of tho Potato being capable of being 
crossed even with plants not belonging to the bulbous ‘ 
genus, we may exclaim—What an extensive field is opened i 
for the agriculturist 1 What singular and what useful expe¬ 
riments may we not make here ? and that, too, were wc not j 
to reckon those experiments which might bo made, and 
luade with still greater certainty, in the extensive circle of 
bulbous plants. 
“ 0. All tho entire crop of Potatoes resulting from the 
four combinations above-mentioned, I have reserved for 
sets in future. Should the next planting remain free from 
every disease, as this year’s planting was, I shall consider 
the problem solved, I shall acknowledge the American plant 
as a naturalised exotic. 
“Mr. Rowlandson had long considered the Potato disease 
to arise from a deficiency of potash in the soil or manure in 
which the tubers were grown. He suggested tho trial of 
sulphate of potash, to remedy this deficiency ; this sulphate 
could be purchaseil in the miu'ket at TKi jier ton, in the 
state known as the “ pan sulphate,” which contained about 
bO per cent, of sulpliate of potash, and 20 per cent, of sul¬ 
phate of soda, and other salts; this was better than “ granu¬ 
lated sulphate,” which was impaired by an excess of common 
salt. This pan sulphate might be applied in drills, at the 
rate of 4 cwt. per acre. Ho had himself tried it with splendid 
efi'ect. Tho state of carbonate in which the potash was 
found in land that had been burned, was much inferior to 
the sulphate of the same alkali. Nor did wood ashes from 
Canada and other countries contain more than 14) percent, 
of potash. Tho carbonate had a powerful elfoct in causing 
the rapid development of plants, but had no abiding and 
sustaining power afterwards; and they died away in conse¬ 
quence. 'i’he Brassic tribes took up much potash. In an¬ 
swer to an inquiry of Mr. Reynolds Solly, Mr. Rowlandson 
then favoured the Council with a detailed statement of tho 
origin and progress of that expanding-concentric growth of 
fungi, occasioning what was termed “fairy rings.” — IMr. 
Paine remarked, that on some fields of his in Surrey (where 
particular bods of tho upper green sand formation, known 
to be rich in potasli and the phosphates, crop out), his 
Potatoes grow with remarkable luxuriance in the first stages 
of their growth, but were subsequently attacked with the 
Potato disease to a greater extent than those grown on 
other fields not containing a similar amount of potash.— 
Professor Risler coiroborated, from his own experience on 
the Continent, a confirmation of IMr. Rowlandson’s views 
respecting tho action of sulphate of potash. He ronuu-ked, 
that in tho Yosgen sandstone, the decomposition of which 
formed in French Lorraine a rather great extent of very 
light soil poor in potash, a great quantity of wood-ashes was 
employed as a manure for Potatoes, 'rhosc ashes were 
rich in potash, and their market-price high in proportion 
to tho amount of soluble potash-salts they contained, but 
poor in the phosphates. The experience of many years on 
a groat extent of land, had proved that tho potato disease 
was diminished by tho use of these ashes. The farmers of 
that district never employed farm-yard manure to their 
Potato-crops, because that application was invariably found 
to increase the disease: a result most probably occasioned 
by tho circumstance of the farm yard manure being r icher 
than wood-ashes in its amount of ammonia and the idios- 
idiates. I’rofessor Risler added, that the principal object 
of Potato-culture in tho Yosgen was tho production of 
starch ; and that the general opinion of tho starch-mauu- [ 
facturers was, that the per centage of starch in the Potato 
crop was increased by the use of the ashes in question. '• 
They found that diseased Potatoes gave in general onc-third | 
less starch than sound ones; this proportion, however, > 
varying much, according to circumstances. Professor Risler 
concluded his remarks, by calling the attention of the 
