MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART. 
225 
The Chairman thought it would be found 
difficult to get people, even in the country 
districts, to go any distance to look at live 
Stock. 
Mr. M’Donell observed that the ques¬ 
tion might be referred to the Exhibition 
Committee. 
Mr. E. K. Silvester proposed a vote of 
thanks to the writers of the papers which 
had been read this evening, which, on being 
seconded by Mr. "William M'Donell, was 
carried by acclamation. 
The Chairman observed with regard to 
the Artesian wells, mentioned by Mr. 
Markham in his paper, that he thought a 
good supply of water might he obtained by 
dams. 
Mr. Steward remarked that the advan¬ 
tage in dams would be that any kind of 
labour might he used in their construction. 
The Chairman had noticed that in the 
interior, when cattle had been brought on 
to a new run that a small river ot creek 
ceased to run. This, perhaps, might he 
caused by the constant trampling of the 
cattle hardening the bottom, and causing 
the water, which had hitherto been retained, 
to escape. In most instances, by digging a 
spade deep, water was found. 
Mr. Silvester said it was a well known 
fact that the swamps, from which we receive 
our supply of water, were very much in¬ 
jured by allowing cattle to run in them, 
The Chairman read the following letter 
from Mr. Alexander Black :— 
10, Macquarie Place, 
Sydney, 27th March, 18.78. 
Sir, —Having noticed some remarks lately in one 
of the newspapers anent the diseases in cabbages 
and potatoes, and soliciting any suggestions for the 
eradication thereof, has induced me to take the 
liberty of enclosing herewith a small slip which I 
cut out of an Aberdeen paper the other week. If 
it does no good, it can do no harm. 
Yours, respectfully, 
ALEX. BLACK. 
(From the Aberdeen Herald.) 
Sir.—Seeing in the Hampshire Advertiser of 10th 
instant, a remarkable statement as to the effect, in 
securing the potatoes against the disease they are 
now so prone to, of putting a pea into the heart of 
each potato, or potato cutting, before planting it, 
and of letting both grow together, I have had it 
copied out, and through you it may meet the eyes 
and receive the consideration of those of your 
readers whom it may concern. 
A mere coincidence! Perhaps it is even so. 
Still, the favourable issue of two independent 
trials, and these comparative trials, by different 
persons, during different seasons, and in different 
localities, is reason enough for repeating the experi¬ 
ment. And should a sufficiently large number of 
experiments demonstrate therein the coincidence 
of a cause and its effect, the discovery of the fact 
will be of incalculable value to mankind, however 
strange it may seem, or however difficult of expla¬ 
nation. And yet it is conceivable that, deriving a 
portion ot its earliest supplies of nourishment from 
the potato, the pea may, by and tlirough its growth, 
be able to extract from the tuber, &c., without 
itself being affected thereby, to exhaust it of some¬ 
thing inherent in it or attaching to it, which so 
taints the young potato plants as to. cause their 
decay. So subtle, at least, is the chemistry of 
living nature, that we cannot predicate beforehand 
what it may not be capable of accomplishing.— 
I am. Sir, your obedient servant, 
October 12, 1857. A. H, 
The following is the paragraph alluded to:— 
“ Street, September 3.—I tried rather a curious 
experiment with some potatoes this season. Some 
twelve months since I saw a letter from a farmer, 
stating the great success that had attended an ex¬ 
periment the writer had made in the previous sea¬ 
son. It consisted in planting a pea in each potato 
set, and planting the potato in the usual way. The 
result, he stated, was a large yield of pease and a 
splendid crop of potatoes; hut the most important 
result was, the entire freedom of the potatoes so 
treated from any disease, while all those planted in 
the usual way in the same Held were extensively 
deteriorated. I was led by this statement to try 
the experiment on a small scale in my own garden 
this season. T planted not quite half a peck, only 
fifty sets in six ranks, cutting a piece out of each, 
and putting a pea firmly in. The pease grew up’ 
and nourished well, and last week I dug the potatoes. 
They were perfectly free from the least taint or 
speck of disease, and very fine and large; while, in 
the same bed, close to them, was another lot planted 
in the old style, nearly half of which were rotten. 
I leave your readers to draw their own conclu¬ 
sion .”—“ C. P." in the Agricultural Gazette. 
Tlie Secretary was directed to acknow¬ 
ledge Mr. Black’s letter, and thank him 
for the same. 
Mr. Brunell remarked that potato sets 
require renewal from seed, which was found 
a preventive to the potato blight. 
Mr. P. L. 0. Shepherd observed that 
change of seed was very desirable, and 
with respect to fruit trees the oftener they 
were w orked the better the fruit produced. 
Mr. Silvester stated that in his opinion 
the rank growth of fruit spoilt their fla¬ 
vour, and thought that a more dwarfing 
system would produce a fruit of a better 
quality. 
MEMBER PROPOSED. 
Mr. Thomas Rostron, Waterloo Estate. 
PAPER TOR NEXT MONTH. 
Mr. Lewis Markham on Artesian wells. 
Mr. John Gay laid a small quantity of 
horse beans on tbe table, which he informed 
the meeting were grown in hungry ground 
and w-ould produce 03 lbs. to the"bushel. ’ 
The next monthly meeting will be held 
on Tuesday, 4th May. 
