In Prussia, King Frederick William I threatened to cut off the noses and ears of all peasants who refused to plant them. Russian peasants considered them unclean and un-Christrian, calling them Devil's apples. In colonial Massachusetts, they were considered the spoor of witches. Ireland adopted the potato first, and even made it the foundation of its national diet a fact that was to have terrible repercussions in 1845 when a late blight attacked the potato crop and caused the famine that was to send Irish emigres all over the world seeking a better life. In fact, he is recognized in a most appropriate way by the famous potato soup Potage Parmentier.
Potatoes grow from eyes which are pieces cut from seed potatoes.
As potatoes grow they must be hilled when the plants are 20 to 30cm high. Hilling is done by covering the base of the plant with soil to prevent the potatoes from exposure to light which causes them to turn green. Before harvesting, potato vines are killed to allow the skin to set. A mechanical harvester is used to pick the potatoes. Potatoes need to be harvested at certain temperatures to maximize the length of time they can be stored.