The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1847-05-15
THE POTATO.

reiaIlve 10 our common potatoe sofa
mum tuberosnm.
There is strong evidence for bellev
ing this plant was inlhe first instance in
troduced into Englan by the eolonisi,
adventuring to North America, under
the auspicies of Sir Walter Raleigh
who had obtained a patent in JS84 from
Queen Elizabeth, 'for discovering and
planting new countries not possessed
| by Christians Thomas Heriot, after.
wards known as a mathematician, was
among those voluntary exiles, who how.
ever, all returned within two years af.
ter they had first gone forth for the pur.
pose Of founding colony. These voy.
ayers most probably brough, home the
potaloe, since in Heriot's report Of the
country, which is printed in De Bry's
Collection of Voyages, he describes
Vol. ,p. IL under the article ROOTS,
a plant called openawk, which there is
little doubt 10 identical with the pota.
toe. the roots Of shIs plant sayshe,
are round, some as large as walnut.
others much larger; they grow in damp
soils. many hanging togher as if fixed
on ropes. They are good food either
boiled or roasted. The introduction of
this plant into Ireland by Sir Walter
Raleigh, on his return from Virginia, is
indeed well authenticated by corrobe-
rative testimony. In the manuscript
minutes of the Royal Society, we find
that Sir r. SouthweIl distinctly stated
to the Fellows that his grandfather was
The first who cultivated the potatoe in
ireland: and that for this valuable root
he was indebted to Sir Walter Raleigh.
Part 20, p i95.
have long considered it cause of
wonder how Sir Walter Raleigh could
take home with him from Virginia the
common potatoe. The best informed
na,ura'is,s have never suspected it was
indigenous 10 any part Of the United
States; and there was no people to in
troduce it there, except the Indians,
who have not been credited with its
cultivation. 1t is therefore improba-
Bile that he ever found it in Virginia.
On The other hand the plant descri-
bed by Heriot. IS not the common pota-
toe, which grows not in damp soils; nei
ther do the tubers hang together as il
fixed on a rope. But in both these par
ticulars itagrees exactly with the wild
potatoe [Glycine apios of Linnaus--
Apios ,uberoso of Pursh] which is a
native Of Virginia; Elliott says, grows
in damp soils along the margins of the
swamps' III South Carolina; and ! have
found it IN Western New York, near
springs in rich vegetable mould, and al.
so in similar soils near the Seneca and
Niagara rivers.
1t Us true that Gerard in his Herbal
has given the figure and desert ption OF
our common pota,oe, which he calls
potatoes of Virginia; but it is remarka.
bic that he does not give them the Vir-
yinian name opexdwk, but the name
Dappus, by which they were known at
Quito in Peru. This circumstance
alone is sufficient to tiscredit his story 1
ot having received them from Virginia.
The authur of the paragraph quoted,
'ays in another place, from the author
ty of more than one writer, it would il
ppear that the potatoe was brought
nlo Southern Europe through dIlfe- i
ent channel, and at an earlier period, l
han the introduction of the root from
Virginia into this country. \ i
'etrr Cieca in his Chronicle printed in
553, relates that the inhabitants Of
Quito and its vicinity, cultivated a tu.
erous root which was used as food un-
er the name of papas This, it is af.
rmed, is the same plant which has been
to the South Of Europe, d'
nj which Clusius received from Hahn n, N
ult.
Itisprobable that Sir Walter Raleigh 81
ltroduced the potatoe, but not from
'ngnia. To his active mind, its cuI.
vation in Europe would not long re-
ain unknown; and its introduction in. -
, Ireland, NAV have speedily followed. NJ
t a time when no newspapers were
IbIished to operate as check upon
e rlmors Of The day, il is not surpri-
ng that the native country Of the po- =
toe, should be misunderstood. A
lse very similar, occurs in the Herbal 4
spec,ing the African Marigold $50 =
lllsd) They grew every where al =
ost in Africa of themselves, says Ge- Y
lrd, from whence we first had them, y
I'D that was when Charles the fifth d, d,
mperor Of Rome(! y made famous lar
inquest Of tunis. Yet notwthstand. gi'
g these various assertions, it is well &c, ee
aown that the African Marigold came
.