The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1867-04-20
Farm anu GarDen.
Origin OF The Potato.

At the meeting of the " Y Farmers Club
Jan. Goth, Thomas Cavanah, of Brooklyn, read
the following essay on the origin OF the Irish
potatato: rr
''The botanical name of the potato is sOlaaum
tt6ef0sRBi, of Lnn;eus. The potato is a perennial
plant, found growing in wild state in South
America. Humboldt thought it was doubtful if
1t was indigenous there, az tubers OF the wild po
tato planted by the side ofthe cultivated variety,
differed very little from it. Sir Joseph Banks
thought it was first brought into Europe from
the mountainous parts OF South America, in the
neighborhood of Quito, where they were called
papas. They were introduced into Spain In the
early part of the sixteenth century. From Spain
they were brought into Italy, where they were
called tartuf, from the trutfe or underground
mushroom. The potato was received by C!usius
ut Vienna, in 1888, from the Governor of Mons
III Hainault who procured the roots from the
Pope's Legate, under the name of tartufi it was
then IN use in Italy. In Germany it received
the name OF kartotiel, and soon spread rapidly
through that country The potato found its way
into England by different route, being brought
from Virginia by Sir Walter Raleigh who went
there in 1884. Thomas Heriot, in a report of the
country, described plant called Openauk, having
roots as large as walnuts, in clusters, and says
they are good food, either boiled or roasted Ge-
rarde, in his Herbal, published in 1897, gives an
illustration of the potato under the name OF the
Potatoe of Virginia. which name it retained for
some time, in order to distinguish I from the
c0ncoLculYs batatos, or sweet potatoe. Sir Joseph
Banks says the sweet potato was used in England
long before the introduction of the American
potatoe. They were candied and sold as confec-
tionary. The potato was known in Ireland some
time before its introduction into England Sir
Walter having large estate in that country, it
became in course of time an article Of general
consumption i'll Ireland, and for many years Ire
land was known for its fine potatoes. We sup
pose it was for this reason they obtained the
name Of Irish Potatoes Gerarde thought them
great delicacy. The tubers were roasted and
stepped in wine, or baked with marrow and
spices The Royal Society, in 1863, took mea-
sures for encouraging the cultivation of the pota-
to with view of preventing famine; and it seems
not little singular that in our own time the ex.
tenslve cultivation Of the potato in Ireland pro-
duced the very evil they desired to remedy
The failure was no doubt owing to the want of
fresh stock. Some writers of those early days
thought they were fit food only for swine. An
other says they make good food for poor people
tie left quite numerous progeny; for there are
good many people just now who think potatoes
almost too good for poor people Evelyn, who
wrote In 1893, says: "Plant them in your poor
est ground: take them up in November for win.
ter use, and there will yet remain stock enough
in the ground for the next season" This shift
less way of raising potatoes was in practice in
Scotland. For many years, the Irish seem to
have been the only people who appreciated the
true value OF this esoulent; for nearly 800 years
the potato has been their chief staple. 1t has
been said that people who use the potato as
:heir chief food soon degenerate. This theory is
not we'll founded; for nowhere can there be
found more hardy race than the Irish. Years
Of oppression and misrule have done more harm
TO Ireland than the extensive cultivation of the
potato The tubers of the potato, having no pc.
euliarity Of taste, consisting chiefly Of starch,
approach nearer to the nature of -four or the
iarina of grain than any other vegetable root
For this reason it is almost universally liked,
and can be used longer than any other vegetable
without becoming unpalatable. Among the
many uses of the potato in former times was the
manufacture Of wine and spirits. Still, as wine
is made of old boot-legs and whisky out of print
ers rollers, We need not be surprised at potatoes
making good wine. Some genius in France has
discovered fifty different ways of cooking the
potato.