The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-01-21

until it was . third time introduced, this
| Sire By Sir ". Raleigh, who brought It
from Virginia, IN America. Authorities
differ a. to the exact time when this took
place, but it is probable that it was about
the year $3.50, though some put it IS late
q 1893. 1t was taken to Germany about
ITO, and to France near the same time.
It found its way to Scotland about IT'S.
In view of its present popularity it ap-
pears strange that it should have been SO
long in working itself into public favor.
It was at first cultivated in the gardens
as an ornamental plant.
The idea that it possessed poisonous
qualities was very common and no doubt
hindered its becoming popular as an
article of diet for many years. Even yet
we often see it asserted that some OF the
wild varieties are quite poisonous, but l
am unable to trace these assertions to
any reliable source. 1t is true the
plant contains smell proportion OF .
poisonous substance nearly allied to If
not identical with nicotine, the oil Of
tobacco; but it is in very small proper
ton, and does not in any case, | believe,
affect the tuber, which is the part used
for food. Raleigh first took it to En-
gland, and had the tubers planted in his
garden, but his gardener, thinking the
secIballs were the part to be used as
food, reported it to his employer as
worthless weed. Raleigh thereupon or
dered him to pull them up and throw
them away, but in doing SO he found
lot Of well-grown tubers.
For many years the potato was grown
only for the tables Of royalty and the
very wealthy, being regarded as a deli
cacy too rare and costly to be used by
the common people The table of James
l. was supplied at two shillings per
pound The use of the potato was strange
~ opposed in Scotland on religious
grounds. 1t is not mentioned in the BIZ
BILE, therefore, argued these conscientious
old Puritans, it ought not to re Used as
an article of diet.
Many methods were employed by those
who had learned the value of the potato
as an article of food to introduce it to
the favorable notice of the general pub
lie, but it took many years for it to be-
come in any degree popular. Their mer-
its as well as the best methods of raising
and cooking were published and circu-
lated. One Parmentier, Frenchman,
on returning from Germany, where he
had seen the potato growing, set himself
to the work to secure that appreciation
of it among his countrymen that its
merits demanded. He wrote and spoke
in its favor, calling the attention of both
rich and poor to its value as an article Of
food.
In order to attract attention to it he
planted field of it and set guard as if
to protect it from the thieving propensi-
ties Of thepeasantry, at the same time al
lowing word to 60 out that it was an
article of very great value for the table.
After time the vigilance Of the guard
was purposely relaxed, thus giving all
who desired to an opportunity to clan
destinely carry off some of the valuable
esculcnt. The peasantry were not slow
to avail themselves of this chance to give
the new root trial. The result was its
popularity was established. But not
withstanding the efforts of occasional in
tclligent men to secure general recog-
milton of its merits by the people the po-
tato was very slow in working its way
into popular favor. The Government of
Germany used coercive measures to pro-
mote its cultivation in that country.
1t was not till far in the eighteenth
century that it was generally used for
food. A severe season in 1742 drew gen
ersl attention to it as reliable food
crop, after which it gained rapidly in
popularity till it became the main de-
pendence for food for the poorer classes
in some of the countries of Europe es-
pccially in Ireland. 1t yielded large and
sure crops, and as the climate seemed
WI e>sOi'eSA w Tvs s9toWeH IL SOVH DC-
came their chief dependence for food
In 1912 disease generally known as
the rot appeared in the potato fields
of Germany, near Liege. Two years
after it ravaged the fields of Canada, and
in 1916 it was very destructive over
nearly all parts of Europe. The season
seemed to favor its development, and it
carried destruction wherever it appeared.
The loss during that one year to Great
Britain and Ireland was estimated at
$110,OO0,O0O. The distress caused by
the loss of the potato crop, especially to
the poor, was exceedingly severe. Ire
land experienced famine that caused
widespread suffering and death from
starvation. Since that time the rot has
lurked in the potato fields of both the
Old and New Worlds, and when the
seasons have favored it has still been
ready to develop its destructive power.
L. J. Templsn, in Indiana Farmer.