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Hawke's Bay Times, Volume IX, Issue 461, 14 March 1867, Page 3

Thb Countess Fohtescub. —The London corresponbent of the Birmingham Post writes : —“ The Countess Fortescue, •whose untimely death has plunged her family in the deepest sorrow, will obtain a place in some future edition of the “Ro manes of Peerage. About 20 years ago the beautiful and accomplished Miss Daw •on was sought in marriage by two suitors —the one an exiled prince, heir to the fortunes and traditions of the French empire, and the other the son and heir to an English- earldom. She gave her band to the latter and at the time every one said that in a worldly point of view the young lady had made the better match, leaving out of view altogether the moral consideration that the Prince was esteemed in society somewhat of a mauvais sujet, while the young viscount wasone of the most amiable rising, and philanthropic among our youthful nobility. The Prince was very much iu love and deeply chagrined at tiie lady’s preference for his rival. A year after the lady became Viscountess Ebrington the unsuccessful suitor became Prinee President of the French republic, and five years afterwards ho was proclaimed Emperor of the French. About this time her husband, in the zealous and courageous discharge of his official duties, visited a public building, the inmates of which were suffering from one of the forms of the zymotic disease. Ho caught the contagion, Was prostrated by fever, and for many weeks his life whs despaired of. He was nursed with all womanly devotion by the Countess, but only emerged from his sick room with the loss of his eyesight. For mouths his eyes, “bereft of light their seeing had forgot ,” and although time and the skill of his physicians, have brought some small alleviation of his calamaty, a faint glimmer of light alone remains, and known by a green shade over his eyes, Earl Fortescue, is scarcely able, without .assistance, to find his way to his seat in the House ofPe.rs.

Potatoes “Taking Cold.”—A writer in the English Gardener’s Magazine says there is no doubt that the sudden cooling of the earth at the critical period of ripening, is the main cause of murrain which j so frequently spreads alarm throughout the country. We have demonstrated, both in these pages and elsewhere, not only of late but in years gone by, that if the visitations of heavy rains, accompanied with an extraordinary low temperature, occurs when the haulm has nearly done its work, and the tubers have ceased to increase in size, disease is almost sure to break out, and there is not a variety of potato known that is thoroughly proof against it. But if the plant is still growing rigorously, or if the haulm has perished and the tubers are full ripe, these peculiar conditions of atmosphere do not in any way affect them. When potatos are thoroughly ripe they cannot bo infected with disease. They may be infected while! ripening, and the scarcely visible germs may spread and devastate the store. Evenj then, the sound tubers may be picked out ; from the mass of rottenness, and will bej found unhurt. So of potatoes in full rigour of growth, they may be affected with diseases, as all plants are at times, but the particular form of fungoid consumption known a» “ potato disease ” par excellence never touches potatoes that are increased in size, and in the heydey of their growing. Gold, however, may check their growth and bring on premature ripening, and in the end the ripening may bo atlih - f a!., eC A rri, _ wuucu nuu Oil Outwicw* irl UiSvSSo. -AiiS conclusion derived from these premises is, that the crop should he taken up at once , if indications of the rot are presented. “ The set of removal operates beuefioally in two W*J»: it causes first, the removal of thel

haulm, bv means of which the disease is conveyed to the tubers; and it hastens the maturation of the tubers, and so places them out of reach of the plague, which never touches them if they are quite ripe before disease begins. The tubers should be spread out in a dry place, with a thin covering of dry sweet straw, or other rough clean litter over them. Exposure to light for any length of time, is an injury, but they will be greatly benefited by a free circulation of air, which a light spread of litter over them will allow.