Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1883-02-24
History of the Potato.


We clip the following extract from
Mr.. j. c. Vaughn's Corn and Potato
Manual" noticed in our local column
last week!
America gave to the world that i'm
portant vegetable, the potato, But |
what particular locality originated it,
and where it spread after being intro
duced into culture no man exactly
knows. Beyond the maize, high up
on the elevated plains of the Andes, it
was cultivated long previous to the
visits of Spanish adventures to South
America. They found it in Chill, Pc
ru, New Granada, and all along the
Cordilleras of South America, though
not in Mexico. The North American
colonists gave it an early and ready
acceptance, while in Europe it fought
its way slowly and by hard battles.
Humboldt concludes the Virginia colo
nists obtained their seed from Southern
'Spanish colonists., instead of finding it
at their own doors. In 1929 there is
an order from the Plymouth colonies
for potatoes, which would seem to
prove that there at least it was not at
hand. In modern times the potato is
found growing wild over quite range
of latitude. Darwin found it in the
Chonos Archipelago and in the Central
Chilim mountains under opposite con
ditions of moisture. Sir W. j. Hooker
found it growing in Chill in sand hills
near the sea. 1t is also found growing
spontaneously in Peru and other parts
of South America, while in North
America, according to late article by
Hon. J. D. Cation in the Farmers
Review, it has beenS found growing
wild in sheltered valley Of the Rocky
Mountains considerably north of the
line of New Mexicoj also, West OF
Tucson, Arizona, and no longer than
sixty years ago on the banks of the
Ohio river.
Early in the sixteenth century il
, appears the Spaniards carried it from
South America to Spain. From
thence it spread to the Netherlands
f Burgundy and Italy. Italy soon dis
| covered its advantages as food for cat
tie, though did not recognize it as fl
t food for man. In 1865 Hawkins, theI
e a slave trader, introduced it from Vir
J.. ginia into Ireland. In 1886 Sir Fran
q els Drake carried both it and the to
o bacco plant to England, but they re
: mained unnoticed till carried agail
a thither by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1886
r Queen Elizabeth becoming intereste'
|. in potato culture through the repre-
/. sentatioqs of Raleigh, used this escr
& lent on her own table. The roya
% guests could not refuse to eat of it, ye
, went abroad to spread the tale of th
;, poisonous dish. They knew the deaC
,s " night shade and the henbane wer
a its kindred, and in spite of royal favo
!. looked upon it with suspicion. Th
s common people rejected it, and exceI
IA its cultivation as rare exotic in II
70 gardens of the nobility and All occ
of sional use of the sweet potato as rar
~ ty on their tables, it was neglected an
,o forgotten. Attention was again draw
4. to it by ParmeDtier, who, wise in plaI
TO lore, was capable of perceiving its~trl
IT. value. Amid the jeers of those abO
h. him he tried to bring it to perfectio
,r and succeeded. He interested Lou
,ot XVI in its behalf, who ordered lari
~ pieces of land to be planted with
i and went about with potato flower
or his button-hole. Such advocacy hi
st its effect, and the people came to leal
on of its wholesomeness, till from toleran
NV it grew in favor with length of day
No. and is at present almost an absolute
oh sential. In Germany-it had the sal
IT, hard battle to fight, and only royal
II. vor and direct command won the cau'
or Ireland adopted it the most readil
m In 1868, England, recognizing its val
u in times of famine, through the Roy
.bo Society pushed its cultivation. Sc
bo land followed; then Saxony, parts
lod Germany and France, and the wo
-, was won.
oil Gerard pictures the potato in
49,, Herbal in 1897 under the name
,or Batata Virginiana, Herriot, who W,
md out in Raleigh's expedition and wr
-. of his travels, describes among re
60 "openawk," as he calls the potato.