Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1896-10-27
THE POTATO,
Its Tercentenary Celebrated at Dub
lin-An interesting History.

lIn-An interesting History.
The potato is to have it's tercen-
tenary, and what benefactor of the
species, human or vegetable, has a
better right? Some may think, in
deed, that the tribute would be
more reasonable if offered to the
mortal who conferred that boon
upon his kind. But it is the Irish
Gardeners association which 'runs
the show" and too many of those
honest fellows are unacquainted with
Sir Walter Raleigh. They will be
quite familiar with his name at least
by the end of November, when the
great conference and exhibition of
potatoes will be edifying Dublin. AS
matter of fact however, it was
not Raleigh who brought home the
first tubers. The shipment may
have been made with his approval,
and he certainly FASTENED to plant
potatoes in his garden at Youghal;
but the actual importer was Thomas
Herriott, one of Raleigh's crew.
Doubtless, he got them in Virginia,
for Gerard obtained some from
thence very few years later; in the
frontispiece of the famous Herbal"
he appears with the flower of the
potato in his hand. But how did
the plant reach Virginia? Assured
ly, the English did not find it there
on arrival. Long afterwards, an
observant colonist remarked that
the Indians had no word for the po-
tato. The Mexicans did not know
it. In fact the culture was limited
to the western coast of South Amer
lea, and it ceased in New Granada
So recent was the introduction in
Brazil that they called it the Eng
lish batata-" But the Spaniards had
carried it home before 1886, and
there is no reasonable doubt that
English privateers found a quantity
aboard some ship they took, and
planted the tubers in Virginia; for
we have 1t on record that the
Spaniards carried a supply among
the provisions of the voyage.
The story of the potato is really
interes ting, not to botanists and
economists alone, if 1t be properly
treated. Doubtless, the Irish Gar
deners' association will provide a
summary Of it, and if that little
work be intrusted to a competent
person, not afraid to enliven his
theme with anecdote and cheerful
reflections, it may be feature" of
the exhibition. One would like to
hear what the Spanish chroniclers
have to say about the introduction
there. Seeing how bitterly and
successfully the Roman Catholic
opposed it in some countries, it
might have been expected that the
holy inquisition would be memorable.
Mr.. John Morley states that the
English Puritans regarded the pc
tsto with horror, because it is not
mentioned in the Bible; he has good
authority, no doubt, but we never
CHANGED to meet with it. The IN
QUESTION was friendly enough, how
ever, so far as appears. But in
France and Germany the church
succeeded in excluding the potato
for a century and a half The
peassntry were told that it bred
leprosy, and Turgot only won the
day by persuading Louis XVI. and
the queen to wear potato blossoms
at q court hall. Scotland was near
ly as late. The earliest mention
there is in 1901, when the duchess
of Buccleuch was furnished with a
peck bought in Edinburgh for two |
shillings and sixpence. This must |
have been great rarity, for the |
next reference is so years later, |
when we find potatoes used as a
supper dish by the earl of Eglin-
toun. In 1746 q certain Graham |
planted field of Kilsyth, and first |
sent the produce to market. Lon
don Standard.