The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1871-12-21
Farm, Garden, and Household.
Written tor th1 journal.
History Of the Potato.
s0LAStN TrBERosCM.

Wotid t1 the Olj II Is Interesting and
Instructive ;o trags its history by the dim
light ot the pas; ,rom It's discovery down
tg our times.
lhe uamt. potato. is supposed to he
corruption o- the Indian word batatas
lAe various Euronean nations tortured If
iutu their languages as follows English,
j -ato French Palate; Portuguese, Batlta
Spanlsh Battata Italian Patata; Spanish
iln fspas
lhe pota'o was hrst found i1 spontaneous
''"u1ahHe BIO TAT South Iii the noun
iA'ns H-Ai Valparaiso about the year 1880.
ll las since been found upon the mountains
ot 1sntra Aneric5. and Mexico though
Humboldt conclude, hat 1t was unknown
tH the Mexlcans al the time Of Cortez's 10
vas'on H. further thinks that it Travelled
North "a lh5 course followed by the meas
ID lner eonqaes'S, and that the potato is
n2I indigenous "A that part OF the Cordiller-
4- situated Gndar the equator.
~ Is Aot known definitely from what
source the English settlers derived their
hlsl seeds OF tthis plant Doubtless IL
had ID It's vile state became widely dis
seininated, and perhaps cultivated in many
parts ot the continent by the Aborieines
and from them. it is lInhly probable thai
these English CoIoulsts IN North America
arst derived their knowledge Of the plant.
AT the dime ct Columbus discovery Of
America il was beyond doubt cultivated
In Peru, aItnough unknown in Mexico. and
perhaps vas cultivated or growing spon-
taneou~H n other sections The sweet
potato OF Asatic origin, and was SHOWN
ln Bingham st a very early period. 1t is
mentioned by seYera authorities in the
latter part of the fourteenth century.
Shakespeare allules ta the sweet potato
when ha says
lief thu ~ r-iu Potatoes
SWEEP potatoes We're Supposed to restore
'eeaYrd Yigor hy the SpaniardS. 1t was
mpored into Spain from the Canaries Aong
before me introduction OF the American
potato tier-.d tp l591 recommends eating
thf sweet potato a. common food, while the
-5ots OF The Virginia potato lre 10 he taken
SparIugly
We have no Straightforward, authentic
aocount of the Introduction of the potato
ato Europe, or he date when first intro
duced Gerard is the hrst author who gave
10 the name ot SplAnum tuherosum. which
Liuneas adopted in his classification, and
which 1t stl retains
sir Walter Raleigh irst carried if into
Ireland, where he began It's culture in his
garden in lGlU. other credtable authori-
Ties say that they were introduced there by
the wreckng Of a vessel that mad some on
board IN Me western coast, near North
Meols, where they are still grown to Il large
extent Not TIL forty wears after their m
PRODUCTION. We're they cultivated around
London and then only iu gardens as curl
Gus species of plant. Not until 1890 were
they planted out IN field. and patches az d
crop
They were carried into Scotland i'll l725.
but met with e'rong opposition, because
not mentioned 4 the Bible ln Sweden
the} were introduced by n royal edict in
l16+ Ia The iuni4u Islands the priests op-
posed them a. being one ai the forbidden
fruits, and Instrumental in mans fail
Ihe people o. France looked upon this
Vssel7hle "ltH extreme "i~pleasnFe, and
'"e 1N'i@ VI l'l' "''l'l1N 70 ll"Ne 'ie''
PoPu''' Hle' VIII '"' f|'''' success AZ
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