Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-01-18
Tn. Po,atoe Always Uncertain.

The notato was introduced into lreianu'
and was coming comparatively wen N.o"H
about the middle of the seventeenth century.
Ind eed, 80 early as l629-3O, when there was
a dearth in England, according 10 WRITER ~
the philosophical Transactions, the Po'
tato,s were a relief to Ireland probably IN
their last famine; they yield meat and Drink.
RI, nv whatsoever alias We call the root
whether as in Virginia, "Open awk," or 10
botanical iargon, "sOlanum tuberosom,' or
in Anglo-lrsh of various periods po'atee' -,
"potado," "poratee," ''pratea, potata'
or "phottie," the root has invariably been
yery preGarious. Ia Scotland the adoption
belongs almost to our own day. II may nave
banked the soldiers Of Cromwell, because 1t
was buried under ground, and they could not
estirpate it 50 readily as they could have cut
and carried growing corn. But 1t tie potato
was clever at decelVing the proud lnVauer'
II has been quite az clever Il traitor at de-
ceivinc the Irish themselves. 81 early as
1890, we hear OF great destruction T. the
potato by severe and long continued troSt,
after a wet summer and autumn. In LII
the people were cautioned against eating po-
tatoes. rs they were believed to be diseased
and they produced disease IN men. lhere
were failures again In 1863, when potatoes
were scarce and small, as they were IN loZo:
in ITO, when there was "curi, the dis-
ease in the leaves; and in lIIJ, when Ar
thur Young found the people sprlnkl'ng their
lad with lime to prevent the "Dlack rot.
There is, indeed reason 10 believe that the
black rot was the same as we have witnessed
in our own day. As time advances, the fall
ure becomes more frequent. In 1854 the po-
tat, was called "spuggAun," from its diseased
so,tness. There were failures again through
excessive wet or excessive drought in 1873,
and 1900 curl; in 1901, freezing OF the
sets in the ground; 1907, FROST leUJ, the
curl: 1911, excessive wet; ISL, failure OIL
the plants; 1916, the black rot; ISL, scar
city 1920. foundations; 1921, rot, and sour
ing in some places; 1925, scarcity and nigh
price 1929, excessive wet; 1881, potato tail
ure. with famine and pestiIence; 1872, cpl
demic in the potato: 1888, the curl, ana
probably the rot; 1884 q partial failure;
1856, a scarcity; 1888, general remarks on
inherent constitutional weakness, ana ue-
terioratioo; 1889, black rust. In boot
there were failures also IN the island OF Arrah
and Scottish highlands; dry gahgreue Oh
the potato 10 Germany. Alter these uaIeS
we have, between 1871 and 1901, more or
less OF untavOrable seasons oi every year,
with partial or local failures, in the three
subseq uert years. The total failure and tam
inc of 1916 is in the memory OF everybody
This mere recital of dates is sufficient to show
how impossible it is to depend upon the po-
tato as the staple food of a nation. We are
not indeed to suppose that the lrishmen Will
instantly relinquish a root which Is IN many
respects, so Immediately convenient; but u
complete knowledge of its Enthusiastically
character will assist in removing it from tine
false position of being the staple upon which
the whole body Of the people is to rely aud
restore to its proper place as an auxiliary
among other vegetables for the table.