Weekly Phoenix herald., 1883-02-09

In the Times of the Both ultimo i:
published u communication from
Hon. John D. Cation, which seem:
to have been copied from the Farm
urs' Regieto. He speaks of Mr.. For
syth, of ST. Louis, having found wild
potatoes IN the rocky mountains
notrh of The line of New Mexico. Mr.
Forsyth's statement may be true, but
doubt it. My reason for doubling
the statement is that the climate is
not adapted to preserving the potato
through The winter season. Mr. Ga
ton also states that "about 1850 be
was shown some potatoes near Lis
bon, Kendall county, which ne was
assured were grown from wild pota-
toes found in the Rocky mountains
west Of Tucson, brought by volun-
tecrs on their return from the Aexi.
can campaign"
The above statement, I have no
doubt, is correct Except Mr.. Cason' s
geography is little mixed, Tue son
being 250 miles west of the Rocky
mountainrj as two or three species
in all the high mountain ranges of
Axiom end Sonora, Mexico.
myself have found the wild potato
on the east side of The Santa Catarina
mountains, twenty miles northeast
of Tucson; on the east side of the
Santa Rita mountains four miles
sooth Of Greaterville, on Tom Gard
ncr's ranch, and on the west side OF
the Patagonia noun ains, fifteen
miles southeast of Calabasas, all in
Pima county, Arizona Territory.
Prof. Lennon, of California, re
ports having found Wild potatoes in
the Huachuca mountains. l have
been informed by iexican citizens
that they abound in the Canonier
ana San Jose mountains, Mexico.
1 exhibited both vines and potatoes
which | obtained on Mr.. Gartlner's
ranch in August last 10 Mr.. Thomas
Gardner, Gen. PIERCE and Jefferson
Moore, who live on Mr. Gardeners
ranch, and al the same time and
place to Mrs. E. N Fish and Mrs.
Oscar Bucka!ew and my wife, all OF
whom are citizens of Tucson, and
can testify 10 the fact of my finding
wild potatoes on Gardner's ranch. l
am thus particular in my statements
because there seems to be doubt in
the minds of some well informed OBJ
servers as to where the native home
Of the potato is. But there need be
no further doubt on the subject
Arizona is the native home of the
potato.
The climate of Arizona seems es-
pccially adapted to the perpetuatien
Of the potato plant. The atmosphere
is very dry at all times We hav-
Two rainy seasons, the first il Janun
airy and February, AMI the second is
July and August The wild potatoes
sprout up soon after the rain begins
10 fall III July and the new potatoec
SET and mature in August an, Sep
e,nber. There is not enough moisi-
lre to cause the hu BIS 70 rot during
he first rainy season in January AMI
February. neither is there any cold
weather 10 freeze them. They grow
alnng the little valley at an elevation
Of from six to seven thousand feet
The w ather is not suffi-
;iently warm to start them in March,
md after that time, until the second
Amy season begins i'll July, there is |
lot sufficient moisture in the groupd |
% sprout them or cruise them t. |
grow. They grow near trees or old
ogs where the earth is loo e; the |
7ines are the exact counterpart of |
her civilized cousin, and the pota-
oes set in the same way, and the |
ops bloom and little bulbs grow on |
hem the same as used to grow on |
he tops of all potato vines some
thirty or forty years ago. The
amples l procured varied in size |
rom marble to Is inches in lecgih |
" 1 inch in diameter.-S. a. Nan
Que IN Chicago Times.
The management of the Repu6I-
"a, hos ohonoad