The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1875-11-01
THE POTATO.

Its Extensive Cultlvation-Mealy vs. Waxy Po.
tatoes-0rigin and EARLY History-The First
Reastiug-Petato Sugar.
The potato 10 more important as a va
riety OF human food than any other root
we cultivate, and is remarkable for be-
ing grown over greater range of lati-
The starch granules in a potato are
very large, having sometimes a length of
two-thousandths OF an inch. 1t has been
observed that people who live almost
exclusively on the potato are distin-
guished by the size and prominence of
their st0machs.
An examination of the potato with a
microscope has proved the relative
worth of the mealy and waxy kinds. of
this vegetable. On examining thin
| slice, it is seen to be almost entirely
composed OF cells, which are sometimes 8
filed with and sometimes contain clus-
| ters of beautiful little oval grains. These
grains remain unchanged in cold water;
| but when it Is warm they dissolve in it,
| and the whole becomes jelly, and oc-
| cupies larger space than it did in the
| form Of grains.
When potato is boiled, then each oi
| these cells of which it is composed be-
comes little vessel OF jelly; and ii
| there not be good quantity OF starch in
the cells, it may be gelatinized without
bursting them. But if the number OF
grains, or their size, be very great, the
cells of the potato are broken on all
sides by the expansion of the little
masses OF jelly, and the appearance OF
mealiness is produced. Hence, we see
that mealy potatos are the most valua.
BILE, and waxiness denotes deficiency
OF starch or nourishing matter.
The potato was scarcely known until
the seventeenth century, and was not
extensively cultivated before the middle
of the eighteenth. The potato plant is a
native OF South America, and its native
soil is Chill, where it is called maglla,
| and Humboldt affirms that it was un.
known in Mexico until after the Sp anish b
conquest.
IL has been stated, and it is believed
by many, that the first potatoes grown
in Europe were planted in Walter
Raleigh's garden in Ireland, but this is er.
roneous. At Ofenburg, near Baden, lin
South Germany, there is monument to
Sir Francis Drake, as "the first intro
ducer Of the potato in Europe" By the
way, it may be mentioned that Freder-
ick the Great had to compel his subjects
| to plant it before he could get it into
much use, and the use of this invaluable
plant was vehemently opposed in
| France. At last Louis XIV wore bunch
of its flowers in the midst of his cour.
| Tiers, and the consumption Of the root
| became universal.
| In point OF fact, the potato entered
| Europe by two different routes. 1t was
| carried from Peru to Spain, thence into
Italy and Germany, where laws were
passed to enforce its cultivation. 1t is
probable that when Raleigh came from
his American, voyage in 1889, he brought
tobacco and the potato with him.
Drake visited Virginia lew years
which abounded in Virginia and North
1 Carolina, and was used IN England as a
delicacy long before the potato which
we ordinarily have was known.
Sir Thomas Drake returned from navi-
eating the globe, during which he visited
| Chill, in 1889, full seven years before
! Raleigh landed on the Atlantic coast,
! and IS quite certain that he brought
over the potato.
/ 4 ,s1snd in regard to the origin of
roasted potatoes runs, . ."At haielgn
planted some of the tubers i'll his gar
den in Ireland, just as he had seen it
done in Virginia, and had to return to
| England before the plant reached matu-
rity. His Irish retainers in charge OF
his house and garden, noticed the seed
apples, which fp due seasop the plan!
produced, tasted them and pronounced
them unit for use by man OF beast. AT
that time the Process Of "burning the
grafts," or weeds, was praoticed in Ire
land. IL was used by Raleigh's ser
wants to clear his garden Of the withereC
stalks of the potato plants. In this
burning the ground became heated, and
The gsrSsensr taarRisg sg she eastn up VIII
pleasant to Tie taste. Roasteu poIatoe:
got wind, and most every person In Ire
land planted potatoes.
|