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The scientific investigation of the failure of the potato crop in Ireland, 1845-6

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

Thomas P. O'Neill
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Extract

In the harvest of 1845 a disease, hitherto unknown in Ireland, phytophthora infestans, attacked the potato crop. The disease had made its appearance some years previously in north America and shortly afterwards in Europe. There is reason to believe that it already existed in south America, and it is possible that its failure to reach Europe with the early-introduced tubers was due to diseased tubers rotting during the long voyages under ‘ sail ’. The progress of the blight in European countries in the summer and early autumn of 1845 was reported in the Dublin Evening Post, which, without raising any serious alarm, pointed out the danger to the crop in Ireland. The seriousness of a failure of the staple food of the majority of the population must have been clear to every man struck by that possibility.

Type
Research Article
Information
Irish Historical Studies , Volume 5 , Issue 18 , September 1946 , pp. 123 - 138
Copyright
Copyright © Irish Historical Studies Publications Ltd 1946

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References

1 Whitehead, T., Mcintosh, T. P. and Finlay, V. M., The potato in health and disease. Edinburgh, 1945), p. 159 Google Scholar; Butler, E. J., Fungi and disease in plants (Calcutta, 1918), pp. 277–8.Google Scholar

2 9 Sept. 1845.

3 D.E. Post, 9, 11 Sept. 1845.

4 Peel, Memoirs, ii. 111.

5 Ibid., ii. 113.

6 Nenagh Guardian, 18 Oct. 1845.

7 The Farmer's Cabinet and American Herd-Book (Philadelphia), ix (1844), 212-15, 361-4; C. F. A. Morren, Nouvelles instructions populaires sur les moyens de combattre et de détruire la maladie actuelle (gangrène humide) des pommes de terre (Paris, 1845); Rapport de la commission nommée dans le sein de la Société d'Horticulture Pratique du Rhône, pour s'occuper de la maladie des pommes de terre (Lyons, 1845).

8 Gardeners' Chronicle, 1846, pp. 152-3; E. C. Large, The advance of the fungi (1940), p. 15.

9 Ibid., p. 16.

10 P.R.O.I., Relief comm. papers, constables' reports, 1A. 50. 73.

11 State Paper Office, Dublin Castle (hereafter cited as S.P.O.), IV. 6. 11, Govt corresp. bk, no. 74, p. 3l3.

12 Ibid., VI C. 1. 10, C.S.O. 2nd div., minutes, 2 Oct. 1845.

13 Correspondence explanatory of the measures adopted by government for the relief of distress … , p. 85, [735] H.C., 1846, xxxvii. Hereafter cited as Corr. explan. of measures adopted.

14 S.P.O., VI C. 1. 10. C.S.O. 2nd div., minutes, 2 Oct, 1845.

15 Ibid., 9, 16, 18 Oct. 1845; Peel, Memoirs, ii. 113.

16 D.E. Post, 20 Sept. 1845.

17 Corr. explan. of measures adopted, p. 5.

18 T. C. Foster, Letters on the condition of the people of Ireland (1846), p. 438.

19 Cork Examiner, 26 Sept. 1845.

20 S.P.O., I, Reg. papers, 1845, carton 1354, z16450.

21 The Nation, 29 Aug. 1846.

22 W. D. Killen, Memoir of John Edgar (1867), p. 202.

23 Nenagh Guardian, 15 Oct. 1845.

24 Ibid., 20 Sept. 1845.

25 Ibid., 25 Oct. 1845. This was proposed by John F. Hodges (Northern Whig, 23 Oct. 1845).

26 Peel, Memoirs, ii. 133. The lord lieutenant, Lord Heytesbury, issued these instructions to the commissioners and their reports were addressed to him. The commission was apparently appointed. by him as the queen's representative (cf. Todd, The parliamentary government of England, ii. 349, note q).

27 Peel, Memoirs, ii. 133.

28 R.D.S. Library, Proceedings of Royal Agricultural Improvement Society, 16 Oct. 1845, p. 404.

29 Ibid., 18 Oct. 1845, p. 406; Irish Farmers' Journal, 22 Oct. 1845, pp. 978-9.

30 Report of 7 Nov. 1845 in Irish Farmers' Journal, 12 Nov 1845, pp. 1067-8.

31 S.P.O., VI C. 1. 10, Chief Secretary's Office (hereafter cited as C.S.O.), 2nd div., minutes, Oct. 1845, p. 85; P.R.O.I., Relief commission papers (hereafter cited as Rel. comm. papers), C.S.O. papers, 1845, 1A. 50. 77, z14516.

32 Irish Farmers' and Gardeners' Magazine, viii. 502 (Nov. 1841).

33 Irish Farmers' Journal, 10 Sept. 1845, p. 792.

34 Ibid., 15 Oct. 1845, p. 942.

35 P.R.O.I., Rel. comm. papers, C.S.O. papers, 1845, z17206. 1A. 50. 77; Kerry Evening Post, 21 Feb. 1846; Cork Examiner, 10 Dec. 1845.

36 C. S. Parker, Sir Robert Peel (1899), iii. 229.

37 R.D.S. Library, Proceedings of Royal Agricultural Improvement Society of Ireland, 6 Nov. 1845, p. 423.

38 Nenagh Guardian, 5 Nov. 1845; Cork Examiner, 29 Oct. 1845, Northern Whig, 30 Oct., 1, 6 Nov. 1845.

39 Trevelyan, Irish crisis (1848), p. 44.

40 Corr. explan. of measures adopted, p. 217; S.P.O., VII, Reg. papers, 1846, carton 1423, 185; Freeman's Journal, 31 Aug. 1846.

41 Irish Farmers' Journal, 15 Oct. 1845, p. 946.

42 Northern Whig, 23 Oct. 1845.

43 P.R.O.I., Rel. comm. papers, C.S.O. papers, 1845, 1A. 50, 77,

44 S.P.O., VII, Reg. papers, 1846, carton 1423, 185; Irish Farmers' Journal, 19 Nov. 1845, p. 1095.

45 Appendices to the twelfth annual report of the poor law commissioners, p. 91, [745], H.C., 1846, xix.

46 D.E. Post, 18 Oct. 1845.

47 Ibid., 15 Nov. 1845; Northern Whig, 18 Nov. 1845; Irish Farmers' Journal, 12 Nov. 1845; R.D.S. Library, Proceedings of Royal Agricultural Improvement Society, 20 Nov. 1845, pp. 428-9.

48 S.P.O., I, Reg. papers, 1845, carton 1354, z16094.

49 Nenagh Guardian, 29 Oct. 1845.

50 S.P.O., IV. 6. 12, Govt correspondence bk, 75, p. 5; P.R.O.I., Rel. comm. papers, Miscellaneous, 1A. 50. 86.

51 Ibid.; The Farmer's Cabinet and American Herd-book, ix. 212-15, 361-4.

52 S.P.O., VII, Reg. papers, 1846, carton 1423, 185; Irish Farmers' Journal, 12 Nov. 1845, p. 1067.

53 Peel, Memoirs, ii. 139.

54 P.R.O.I., Rel. comm. papers, Miscellaneous, 1A. 50. 86.

55 Peel, Memoirs, ii. 141-2, 157.

56 D.E. Post, 7 Feb. 1846; Copy of report of Dr Playfair and Mr Lindley … , p. 1, H.C. 1846, (28), xxxvii.

57 S.P.O., IV. IO. 16, Heytesbury's country letters, no. 2, p. 34.

58 S.P.O., I, Reg. papers, 1845, carton 1354, z17054; S.P.O., IV. 6. 12, Govt correspondence bk, 75, p. 46; P.R.O.I., Rel. comm. papers, Miscellaneous, 1A. 50. 86.

59 Freeman's Journal, 4 Nov. 1846; Gardeners' Chronicle, 31 Oct. 1846.

60 S.P.O., I, Reg. papers, 1846, carton 1423, 185.

61 Mayo Constitution, 11 Nov- 1845; Northern Whig, 8 Nov- 1845; Cork Constitution, 22 Sept. 1846; T. C. Foster, Letters on the condition of the people of Ireland (1846), P- 441.

62 D.E. Post, 15 Nov. 1845.

63 R.D.S. Library, Proceedings of Royal Agricultural Improvement Society of Ireland, 20, 27 Nov- 1845, pp. 429, 432-3.

64 R.D.S. Library, Minutes of General meetings of Royal Agricultural Improvement Society of Ireland, 10th general meeting, 13 Dec. 1845

65 S.P.O., VII, Reg. papers, 1846, carton 1396, z21648.

66 E. C. Large, The advance of the fungi, p. 41.

67 5, 19 Nov., 17 Dec. 1845, pp. 1061, 1090-1, 1201-2.

68 John Mitchel, An apology for the British government in Ireland (1905 ed.), p. 23.

69 Foster, Letters on the condition of the people of Ireland, p. 439.

70 Cork Constitution, 3 Jan. 1846.

71 Foster, op. cit., pp. 440-1

72 Irish Farmers' Journal, 5 Nov. 1845, p. 1061.

73 L. R. Jones, N. J. Giddings and B. F. Lutman, ‘Investigation of the potato fungus, phytophthora infestans ’, in Bureau of plant industry, U.S.A., 245, which cites Ernest Roze, Histoire de la pomme de terre, pp. 298-9, (Paris, 1898). I am indebted to Professor R. McKay, of University College, Dublin, for this reference.

74 Large, The advance of the fungi, p. 27.

75 8 Aug. 1846.

76 Large, op. cit., p. 225.

77 Army Lists, 1811, p. 195; 1817, p. 276; 1818, p. 543.

78 N.L.I., Encumbered Estates Rentals, 3 May 1851.

79 M. Lenihan, Limerick: its history and antiquities (1866), p. 707.

80 Rev. P. Rogers, Father Theobald Mathew (1943), pp. 46, 48; Lenihan, op. cit., p. 495.

81 S.P.O., I, Reg. papers, 1845, carton 1353, z8380 and enclosure; Reg. papers, 1844, carton 1316, z2752 and enclosure.

82 S.P.O., III, General Receipt Book, 1846, z2428.

83 Ibid., z5652.

84 Theobald F. Butler, Newspaper scraps relating to the county of Clare, 1846 (p. 16) contains the cutting. This volume is preserved in N.L.I. I have examined the files of the newspaper in the ‘ Limerick Chronicle ’ Office, Limerick, but failed to find any other letters from FitzGerald. The files for 1846 are not available in the National Library.

85 Dept Agric. Jn., xii. 340; xiii. 450.

86 Gardeners' Chronicle, 29 Aug. 1846; 26 Sept. 1846.

87 N.L.I., Encumbered Estates Rentals, 3 May 1851.

88 F. H. Hitchins, The colonial and land emigration commission (Philadelphia, 1931), pp. 166, 172. I am indebted to Mr Oliver MacDonagh for this reference.

89 Cork Constitution, 12 Sept. 1848.

90 Parker, Sir Robert Peel, iii. 228.

91 Kerry Evening Post, 21 Feb. 1846.

92 Rev. John O'Rourke, The history of the great Irish famine of 1847 (1875), pp. 416-17. John Mitchel, The history of Ireland (1869), ii. 221.