ing, that the highest hopes of an abundant yield were
entertained, and the people had so little fear on the subject of the
blight, that there was no appearance of that nervous anxiety which was
so strongly manifested at the same period of the previous year.[112] A
strong opinion prevailed that imported potatoes, at least, would resist
the blight, but there was no considerable importation of them into
Ireland in 1846. There is no doubt that new or strange sets, if of a
good quality, produce a healthier and a better crop than seed raised on
the same or neighbouring land, but from the general prevalence of the
potato blight, it is very doubtful if there would have been much
advantage in importing seed. An admittedly surer way of producing sound
tubers is to raise them from the actual seed as ripened and perfected on
the stalk in the apples, as the notch berries are commonly called in
Ireland, yet Mr. Niven,[113] an excellent authority--being Curator of
the Botanic Gardens belonging to the Royal Dublin Society, says: "The
seedlings I have had, both of 1845 and 1846, have been equally affected
with the leaf disease, as have been the plants from the tubers; whereas
the seedlings I raised on the experimental ground in the Royal Dublin
Society's Botanic Gardens, in Glasnevin, in 1834, at the time I
instituted my first experiments, were not at all infected with the root
disease then prevalent, but were, without an exception, sound and
perfect as could be desired."

The blight of 1846 was identical with that of 1845, but more rapid and
universal. The leaves of the potato plant were spotted in the same way;
the stalk itself soon became discoloured--not completely, but in rings
or patches; it got cankered through at those places, and would break
short across at them like rotten wood. Moisture, it was observed, either
brought on or increased the blight, yet the rainfall of 1846 rose very
little above the average of other years; probably not more than from two
to three inches; but the rain fell very irregularly, being most copious
at those times when it was likely to do most injury to the crops. The
Spring was harsh and severe; snow, hail and sleet fell in March; at
Belfast, there was frost and snow even in the first week of April. In
contrast with this, the greater part of June was exceedingly warm, which
must have stimulated vegetation to an unnatural degree, thus exposing
the growing crops all the surer to danger, whenever the temp