The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-12-05
LIE DUc,s LATEST BOOK.
Tho Improved Irish Potato from the
Slopes OF The Andes.

Slopes OF the Andes.
c5ns.poadeaea q TIE CiBcinnati Commercial
Some months ago Gen. Vim. G. Le Due,
the Commissioner OF Agriculture, was told
by a gentleman who had resided some
years in Peru that o very superior variety
OF the Irish potato was produced in the
mountainous regions lying Immediately
back OF Lima, some seventy or eighty
miles from the coast. He described these
potatoes as being OF medium size, round .
Of bright golden color when cooked, and
OF delicious favor, very different IRON
that Of any variety of potato known in
this country. He said he was OF the opin-
ion that they might be cultivated in this
country, because, although produced in the
tropics, the great elevation at which they
were grown, seventy.tive hundred TO ten
thousand feet above the level OF the sea,
made the climate equal to that OF the
temperate zones. The gentleman spoke
so highly OF these potatoes, and expatlat-
ed upon their appearance and flavor IN
such glowing terms that General lie Duo
became convinced that they ere~ot q
kind hitherto unknown to American ag-
riculturists, and that il they could be in.
troduced into this country they would be
great and valuable acquisition. The
knowledge that the potato is indigenous
to Peru and Chill, and that the rest Of the
world had been originally supplied from
these countries, was further inducement
to him to believe that an experiment
in this direction would be success
full. lie accordingly took steps to
secure q supply, and with that object
addressed communication to the United
States consul ut BALLAD, requesting that
functionary to procure sufficient quanti-
ty and forward them to him ut Washing
ton by express. The consul promptly
complied with his request, and q few days
ago Gen. lie Due had the satisfaction OF
receiving two crates OF the potatoes in toll
erably fair condition, and obtained from
them about two and q half bushels OF
sound seed potatoes, fairly bristling with
eyes, and enough to furnish seed for full
and fair experiments to be made. He has
already given out a few for planting in
California. The remainder will be care
fully preserved until next spring, when
they will be distributed among careful and
competent farmers in different States.
Itshould be found that this variety Of
the potato can be successfully grown in
this country Gen. Lc Due will have &C.
complished great and important thing,
as the potatoes We have now, although
some Of them are very large, are all more
or less effected by some disease or other
and are very liable to rot.
In order TO be sue that the potatoes re.
ceived were thesame which the gentleman
had spoken OF, Gen. LIE Due invited him
to go 10 tho department and inspect them.
He did so; and, after selecting three OF the
best, had them boiled in the laboratory.
When broken open they were found to be
Of the kind he described. They were OF
deep yellow color and delicious favor,
entirely different from that OF any potato
ever seen by any OF the gentlemen pres
ent, and all agreed that II they could be
grown in this country 1t would undoubt-
edly be great public benefit.
The reason why it was necessary to
make selection In order TO make a trial
was that, owing to the route over which
the potatoes had been brought here, they
had been exposed to great heat, and were
consequently somewhat withered. They
were carried from the place they were
grown in the mountains OF Peru, to Lima,
on pack mules, and sent from that city to
Panama by steamer, and thence to AspiR-
wall by mil. Thpn they were again put
on board steamship for transportation to
New York, and from there, again by rail
road, they were sent to this city. Its not
at all surprising, therefore, that after pass
ing through SO many changes Of tempera-
tuTe, and. through tiity-three degrees Of
latitude, and shut up for days at o time in
tho holds OF vessels In the torrid zone, that
the potatoes should become deteriorated.
For planting, however, they are in capital
order, and there is every reason to believe
that the attempt TO introduce them into
this country will DO successful.