The Southern herald., 1886-07-31
THE POTATO in FRANCE.
A Novel Centenary Celebration in the
Pretty Town of MOntdidIer.

A Novel Centenary Celebration in tho
Pretty Town Of MOntdldier.
This is an era of centennial celebra-
tions, and Frenchmen have q natural
penchant for commemorating men or
events that they may deem worthy of
honor or remembrance. Just now the
town of Montdidier is preparing to
celebrate, with all the eclat possible,
what is termed the Parmentier CEN
tenary, but which is in reality the CEN
tenary Of the introduction of the
potato into France. All the most dis
tinguiShed men in France are invited
to the fete, which will last for about
ten days. M. Pasteur writes that he
could not think of abandoning his
"chers enrages" for such length Of
time; M. de Lesseps expresses his re-
grets, but has induced the institute to
appoint Baron Larrey to represent
him on the occasion, and M. Chevreul,
the centenarian scientist, laments his
inability to be present, and adds with
naive pathos: Though 1 may not be
with you in person, my heart will be
there, as Montdidier is the natal spot
of that dear girl, Mile. Sophie Dava-
lette, whom married in 1873"
M. Parmentier, who was born 1887,
in Montdidier, and died in 1918, led q
checkered life and made great sensa-
ton in his day. He was at one time
chemist in the army of Hanover,
and subsequently prisoner in the
seven years war. A disciple of Mol
let, Rouelle and Jussien, he finally
turned his attention to the study of the
potato, and obtained the authorization
of Louis XVI to cultivate the tuber in
the plain of Sablons, near Paris. The
potato was at that epoch held
in utter contempt in France, and
was considered only as food for
hogs. Parmentier'struggled for years
against countless obstacles and difficult
ties in his effort to make the despised
"apple of the earth" an article of food,
but his ingenuity finally triumphed.
He prepared banquet to which he in
vited the leading savants of France, in
order to prove to them the excellence
of the potato and the variety of ways
in which it could be rendered palata-
BILE. The potato, to the great astonish-
ment of the savants, was served in
thirty-three different styles, and when
the banquet was finished it was declared
to be the most delicious of esculents,
and M. Parmentier was famous. 1t
may be of interest to know the first
course on the menu on that historic oc-
casion was styled pOmmes de terre en-
chensise, commonly called in England
potatoes served up in their jackets, "
and which on the other side of St.
Georges Channel is vernacularly
known as "praties billed"
His Majesty Louis XVI. then took up
the cause of M. Parmentier and the
potato. M. Parmentier visited the
King at Versailles, holding a bunch of
potato flowers in his hand. Louis
offered him his right hand to shake;
Marie Antoinette permitted him to kiss
her on both cheeks, and in the evening
at gala party given in the palace, his
Majesty appeared wearing bunch Of
potato flowers in theroyal button-hole.
The triumph of the potato, says the
chronicler of the day, was thus conse.
Grated. The thirty-three styles in
which twas introduced by M. Parmen-
tier to the French cuisine have now
so says Alexander Dumas-reached two
hundred and fifty, and the capabilities
of the humble tuber from Virginia
have not yet been exhausted in the
hands of the French cook. A statue
was erected to M. Parmentier in his
native city in 184S, in which he is rep
resented standing erect, holding in his
hand huge potato-stalk. His body
reposes in Pere la Chaise, Paris, in a
handsome plot surrounded by an iron
railing, and a beautiful monument
stands above it, erected by the chemists
of France. Every year the members Of
the agricultural societies visit this spot
and plant the grave and its surround
ing parterre with potatoes. Paris Cor.
~ 7. World.