Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-07-18
THE POTATO.


1910. An amusing anecdote attended
its first introduction. Sir Walter hav-
ing planted in his garden the specimen
he had brought from Peru, awaited anxi-
ousiy for its growth and maturity. By
and-by the plant sprung up, flowers APP
peared upon the stems, and finally these
died and were succeeded by little apples,
which be mistook for the potatoes. A.
length the stems began TO wither, and
the little apples at their extremiiies be.
gan TO wither likewise. On examining
these he found them small, unpalatable,
and by no means resembling the speci-
men which he had planted. Believing
his experiment unsuccessful, and in de-
spair of succeeding in any future expert
ments with the article, he ordered his
gardener TO pull up the pernicious weed
and throw il from his premises. In full
filling this command the gardener found
bushels of potatoes adhering to the roots
ef the plant From this time the potato
began TO be cultivated in that Island, and
III has long since formed the two or three
fourths of the entire food of its inhabi-
tants. The potato was introduced into
Sweden in 1870, into Scotland in 1928,
and into France, Germany, Switzerland,
Italy and other countries in Europe a.
bout the same time. In some paris of
Europe the cultivation of this useful veg
etable met with violent OPPOSITION by the
more prejudiced part of the people
In Scotland the people were opposed to
its cultivation and use because it was
not mentioned in the Bible. In France,
nobleman vas defeated in his election
on account Of his benevolent exertions to
foster its culture. In the tonian Islands
the priests and people rose in arms a.
gainst the introduction of the Potato into
their dominions, on the grounds that il
was forbidden fruit mentioned in the b.
ble--thc cause of mans fall. In most
other countries it required acts of Parlia-
ment TO encourage It's cultivation before
the preiudces of the masses against it
would yield AT length however, it ex-
tended throughout all Europe, and the
European Provinces in America; and in
most of these countries il still maintains
It's character as the most useful,
nutritious. and in fact, the best vegetable
we possess. Some sixty years ago the
potato was introduced into India, and il
now forms a common article of food in
Bengal, the Madras Provinces, China,
Java, and the Philippine Islands.
In the United States this esculent is
raised in every State from Maine to
Texas; but especially in the northeastern
and middle States. In the year 1910
one hundred millions bushels potatoes
were raised in the United States alone.
of these New York yielded thirty mil
lions, Maine above ten millions, Penn
sylvanla nine millions and half, YER
mont more than eight millions, and New
Hampshire six millions.
The countries oil Europe in which
this article is most extensively cultiyat-
ed, are Ireland, Scotland, Holland and
Switzerland.
In Mexico and South America the po-
tato is much used as an article Of diet,
and grows with luxuriance unknown
in most parts Of the world. Travellers
tell US tina, it grows wild in great abund-
ance along the coast and in the extensive
plains Of Chilli and Peru.
We thus see that the potato flourishes
in almost every latitude and every varie-
ty of climate. Ii grows to greater per-
fiction, however, and is most extensive
ly cultivated in the more Northern coun-
tries enjoying temperate climate. In
the tropical countries it does not come
to the same perfection unless it grows at
an elevation of three or four thousand
feet above the level of the sea. As an
article of food i, is more extensively used
at this time than any other vegetable.
From experiments and calculations
made for determining the comparative
nutrisive properties OF ,i,e potato, it APP
pears that one acre Of good potatoes will
support six adult persons, just double
the number that can be supported by an
acre of wheat.
The potato is composed almost entire
ly of water and starch, with a small
quantity Of gum, albumen, fat, saline
iboiCics w. 1tS nuuilNC pIOpCiutS
depend almost entirely upon the starch
it contains. One hundred pounds of
potatoes yield thirty of starch.
For general consumption they are
cooked in various ways, mostly boiled,
roasted, or baked. According to the ex-
periments of DIR. Beaumont, it appears
that baked or roasted potatoes digest in
the human stomach in Two hours and a
half, whilst boiled ones require three
hours and half, to undergo the same
process. II thus appears that baked or
roasted potatoes are more digestable than
boiled ones, and consequently the two
former methods of cooking them should
be preferred in most cases to the latter.
As a preventive Of scurvy, disease
which so often occurs in the ships upon
the ocean, and with which portions of
our feet in The Gulf of Mexico suffered
SO severely during the late war, the po-
tato, either boiled or raw, is valuable
article. AT this time no ship ventures
upon the ocean without being plentifully
supplied with potatoes. hence scurvy
does not occnr near SO frequently among
the crews and passengers as il did in for