Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1831-07-04

the principal basis OF national wealth. its i'm
pIovement has ever been consider red by r..
heetng minds, an object OF primary impor
portance. Having no practical knowledge Of
the arr, shaii not enter into details but | will
venture TO say, that there is, in many parts Of
The state, great room Tor improvement, il not
la the mode OF cultivation al lea st IN the quail.
~ OF the articles produced On this latter
point, those who have no know ledge of hus-
bandry, may yet be permitted TO express an
opinion u illustrate what is intended by
these remarks, and at the sumo time II avoid
proliaty, single article has been selected
1t shall he an humble one the potato.
The vnlue Of this vegetable as an article Of
food, not only tor man, but for Various domes-
Tic animals, is well understood. II mus, also
| he well known, that there are mnny varieties
differing greatly III flavor, IN nutrition, aad in
healthf illness. Indeed, there 10 no article OF
food in which diversitIes Of this sort exist 10
so great degree as will read " be admitted
by those who have compared the kidhtV or
punk eye, (varieties recently Introduced, } with
the strong, clammv, and indigestble roots,
| formerly grown ~ such abundance IN this vi
.inlty. do not know bow IT may be in 9th
er parts OF The state, but | am persuaded thar
in this city, four-illhs OF the potatoes that urc
brought 10 market are OF the old varieties.
Here hen is II subject for improyem ent--one
loo OF great iuporlance. Probably three.
| iourlis Of our pOr olalinn use the potato as u
par OF heir da TODD and surely the sup.
lying So man! persons with the article, in n
toIm the mu.t healthful. palatabIe aud nuti!-
tioa7 Cannot be small q .eston.
! his, however, Is but d narrow view of IN
snbipc, We ar uol TO ituii our reflections 10
oul present pep latlon. We arc looking forward
! To the TIM Wh "a even the sterile moanian Jus
r. gpns which are now rarely lrodden ~ the
/ ;ooi of man, will have their thousands III hn-
man beings, Nh0se suslenanee isto spfnug al,
nos' exclusively from the soil. On what
fare they 20 be sub.isted7 Dous'lsss u great
proportion Of ,ren Oh th. potato Lon among
he valuable qualities OF his vegetable, may be
enumerated the facts, that il may be grown
v.f#Ffe wheat and Other bread eorns Will not
succeed that it may be cultivated with success
in almost every variety oil soil aud that u
! Yields an abundant Return to HE iabors oi the
culivaof, aud is alinosi sure crop. NeAt
therefore 70 the cultivation aud Improvement
| of wheat the great saPie production OF this
! state. ihete is nothing NOR justly entitled 10
the attention of agricuur'sts than the potato,
aud he who shall persuade our farmers 10 g.
bandon the inferior qualities, and TO select aud
perpetuate the best, will not only deserve,
but | doubt not receive the honors OF q
public benefdctOr. | am happy TO ado, that
one OF our most scientific and eniigh-
tened ,icuitarists-(one too, who has al
ready laid the horticulture and iAusbandry oil
New York under great obligat'ons,) IS now de-
| voting much of ms attention 10 the cultivation
of the potato. 10 wish him the highest sue
cess ia ms eudeayuIs-ls noi less the dictate NJ
patriotism and philanthropy, thdn oi kind feel
ing and personal respect
| Bat NV reference to tbs vegetable must not
terminate with the obsers atom Jast made. ii,
furnishes one of the most inter- sung and
beautifol illustrations OF tue bea,f's which
science has conferred on maGkind.
The potato is n native OF America and
fhough the honor OF lis introduction iato Eu.
rope has Deeu divided bet~ee SIR Walter Ra.
eIgh and Others, yet IL ad'nus OF 10 do abt the |
the old word ~ indebted for this addition 10
its products, 10 the science OF nav cation and
the labors Of the naturalist Throughout all
Euronp il 10 now a most important article OF
food add its introduction into tat cont
neut has more than UNIDENTIFIED II for all il has
lost by emlgrsuon TO the new void. The
Irish we're the first who turned il To account,
aud il now forms, as is well known, Ia princi.
pal food Of heir laboring populaa lhe
French prescribed IL, because II was mag lhed
that various disorders were occasi led by ITS
use IL was more than t"o cehtnr.ps Leiore
the popular PREF JUDGES exsliag agalGs. il 10
that country, were entirely ticome, and
then only hy the instI umt ntal,y OF a Client, Dc
chemist--the distinguished PaimenIleT. I1r
Jealous aud successful exertI0us OF tnIS .bent-
violent mai, were So InorablG TO his charactt r
and so useful 10 MS species that | cannot re-
sisl lie opportunity vi noticing bose to which
have referred, II lltfe more particularly. tie
was employed, during the var Loo, IN the
hospIt al department of the army OF Hanover
aud m consequence OF hts al IN the pursuit
Vi kuowletg-, which often led him to imprU-
dent exposures, he was i've iIaes taken prlso-
er and more tnsn once subjected 10 tho hur-
fors of famine Whilst IN prison hs frequently
Ind no ulhcr food than the potato, then Dtgn-
oioy 10 be cult, ated, though neither valued nor
unders ood ia tie Germau States. Ills sclen-
u6rkno sledse enabled him TO analyZ the qual.
;,,.s nj me root and to discover the use to
which, il could Le applied. Alter the peace OF
1863. he returned 10 Paris and pursued with
srdoor every branCh OF seienGe toan cted with
h. .unnort of animal life aud II WIS not long
before he had an opportunity o. rendering his
knowledge most useful to the pubic. The
, desrth in 1869, called tine attention OF the
French ministers and sapanS TO the vegetables
which were calculated 10 supply the plice OF
bread corn ; and the potato WAS introduced m
70 .sy.r,I districts. Tue old clamor was re-
yi,ea and the vegetable was again rrocnb'
ID aad would have been rejected as pos onous,
II pa,menter. N a pnxe discourse submitted IL
the a academy OF Brsancon ia 1913, Oh the " We.
as,ahies which ia times Of scarcely, may sup
ri, The place of those thar are usual, employ
sJ}forths uou,ish.nent OF man. aud in " che
a meal e,a,oinat.o on OF tue potato" submitted to
0 The comptroller general in the same year. had
u nnI yins,ca,ed lis character aud demonsraled
ia usefulness. Nor did hls eze1ions SOL
here. He cultivated II himself lie peisuau
ed The nobility TO place 1t on their tables ut
4 induced toe king to wear bonq"e' u p1'a.,
5 ,tNsa,,s in fnll court. Oh the day oil solemn
r c,Is he studied the most palatabie modes o
e culinary preparation, and On Que occas'o"' NJ
$ .Jrsse BUIL, Esq. The late ch'si as", =