Page:Treatise on Cultivation of the Potato.djvu/50

 the dead worms together and keeping them within the establishment, thus increasing the conditions favourable to the growth of the fungus, and to the unlimited development of the spores. It was not until, by the advice of botanists, they cleared away from their silk-worm houses every dead insect and withered leaf, and cleaned the walls, that they got any mastery over the disease. So we have been unconsciously harbouring the potato disease in permitting the haulm and foliage to decay on the field or in dungheaps, which left the undecaying oospores behind ready to start into life when the proper conditions were present. Every care now should be taken to destroy by burning all diseased haulm; and as diseased tubers also harbour the rest-spores, these should be utilised in some way in which the spores could not be injurious, as by employing them in the manufacture of starch or British arrowroot. A vigorous and universal attempt thus to deal with the fungus might now greatly reduce the future liability to, and extent of the disease, though it can never, I fear, deliver us entirely from it."–(Journal of Royal Agricultural Society of England, Vol. XI., Part II. Murray, 1875.)

Before going into my own experiences I give a few more reports.—

2em

Seeds sown April, 1875. The season has been most unfavourable for testing these seedlings. I transplanted them 16th June, to one of the best situated borders in the garden, giving them every chance. I found by the middle of August that the tops were slightly affected by the disease. I raised them 24th October. I found the majority of the tubers large, to my surprise. I found the blues very slightly affected by the disease. The largest tuber weighed 6 oz. The white varieties were very much affected, two thirds of them bad. Not very promising in appearance. I intend to sow some of the promising kinds and give them a fair trial next season.

W. WARD."

"Plants were grown within ten yards of diseased potatoes grown from the set in a garden in which the disease appeared last year.