The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1842-10-22
THE WONDERS OF CULTIVA-
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The following are extracts from speech
by Col. Knapp, in delivering the preml-
ums awarded by the American Institute at
the last Annual Fair:
"Every thing in this country (said he
has been brought forward by protection.
In this bleak climate, but few of the sus-
tanning fruits of the earth were here indl-
genous, or in perfect state. Even the
Indian corn, So often considered native
here, was with difficulty accIimated. 1t
was brought from the south, and by de-
grees was coaxed to ripen in a northern
latitude. The aborigines who cultivated
it, taught the pilgrims how to raise it.;
they plucked the earliest ears with the
husk and braided several of them together
for the next years crop.
The pumkin brought from Spain, was
first planted in Rawley, Massachusetts
and it was several years before it came to
hard knotty shell, which marks the true
Yankee pumkn, such as are selected for
the golden pies Of their glorious thanks
giving festival.
Our wheat was with difficulty acclma-
ted. That brought from the mother coun-
try fad grown from springto fall, but the
season was not long enough here to en-
sure crop, it was then sown in the fall,
grew under snow in winter, and catching
the warmest growth of spring, yielding
It's increase by midsummer.
Asparagus, which is now the delight of
all as an early vegetable, and for which
many millions of dollars are paid cur
gardeners yearly, is OF late culture in this
country. At the time of the revolution,
asparagus was only cultivated on the sea-
board-lhis luxury had not then reached
the farmer of the interior.
The history of the potato is a singular
one-Rees' Encyclopedia states that the
potato was brought from Virginia, by Sir
Walter Raleigh, to Ireland. The writer
should have said from South America, in
the latter part of the sixteenth century,
Sir Walter had no idea of its being used
as an esculent at that time. 1t was pon-
TED out to him as beautiful flower, and
its hard bu!by root was said, by the ma
tives to possess medical qualities. He
took it to Ireland, where he had estates
presented to him by Queen Elizabeth,and
planted it in his garden. The flour did
not improve by cultivation, but the root
grew larger and softer.
The potato in its native bed, was a
coarse ground nut. The thought struck
the philosopher to try the palato as an G.
dible, and boiling and roasting it, found
it, by either process excellent lie then
gave some of the plants to the peasantryj
and they soon became in a measure,
substitute for bread when The harvest was
scanty.
Ihe potato was successfully cultivated
in Ireland before it was thought so little
of in England 1t grew into favor by
slow degrees, and it was so it'll e known
when our pilgrim fathers came to this
country, that it was not thought Of as
crop in the new world. 1t was not until
1910 that the Irish potato reached the
country. A colony of Presbyterian Irish
who settled in Londonderry, in New
Hampshire, brought the root with them.
This people found lheiE favorite vegetable
tlourished well in new ground. by de-
grees their neighbors came into the habit
of raising potatoes; but many years clap
sed before the cultivation of them was
generally known among the yeomanry OF
this country. Long after they were cul
tlvated in New England, they were held
in contempt, and the master mechanic Of
ten had to stipulate with his apprentice
that he should beiobliged to eat potatoes.
An agel mechanic once informed me that
he had raised nine bushels, having at that
time (l746) dozen apprentices; but did
not venture to offer them boiled potato
with the meat, but left them in the cellar
for the apprentices to get and roast as
they pleased; he soon found that he should
not have enough for seed, and locked up
what was left. The next year he raised
the enormous quantity OF thirty six bush
els;-the neighbors started--but his boys
devoured them during the following Win
ter.
About this time. some Of the gentry
brought this vegetable on their tables, and
the prejudice against them vanished
Thus by degrees a taste for this food was
formed, never to be eXtnguished. The
cultivation of the potato is now well I'M
derstood-the crop ameliorates instead Of
impoverishing the soil, and the culture
can be increased to any extent. Thus by
the curiosity of one lover of nature, and
his experiments, has an ample weed been
brough, from the mountains of South A.
merica, and spread over Europe and North
America, until it is emphaticalIy called
the "bread of nations.o Still the coun-
try from which it was taken has been too
ignorant or supcrstitious to attempt its
cultivation, until within a few years. Now
the lights of science are chasing away
the long deep shadows Of the Andes.
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