The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-07-27
The new POTATO.
Interesting Facts Regarding New
Uruguay Potato in France.
Report OF United States Consul

The recent report from this Office
concerning Solanum Commersonii,
the Uruguay potato DAILY Consular
Reports No l, 9257. March 10, 1904.
has brought SO many inquiries from all
over the United States that I submit
herewith further information:
This wild aquatic vegetable was in
troduced fromsthe banks Ct the river
Mercedes, Uruguay, and distributed in
France by Professor Heckel, director
of the Colonial Institute of Marsailles.
In it's original state the tuber is
very bitter, but DR.. Heckel pronouces
the results of four years of experiments
marvellous.
The leaves are small and slender,
somewhat like those OF the Irish pota-
to, and the flowers are abundant, of
a pale violet color, and very odorous,
the perfume resembling that of
jasmine. New stems and tubercles
branch off in every direction all the
year, and after one planting the plant
perpetuates itself from the broken
roots left in the soil
The vegetable proper lthat is, the
tubercle) weighs from one to two and
one half pounds, and has yellowish,
wrinkled skin, covered with lenticels,
whicn disappear after culture. The
pulp when cooked has slightly green
ish color. Of twenty-five taken by
hazard and cooked with their skins on.
in 1901, all were very bitter: but Of
| twenty-five th1s taken In 1903 only
eight were very bitter, seven bitter,
five eatable, three good aud two fsri--
naceous. By peeli3g, the number Of
bitter and very bitter ones we're dimln-
ished by 10 to 20 per cert. while the
number of good and eatabie ones we're,
increased accordingly. The roughness,
of the skin and the number and size
of the lenticels are usually in proper
tion to the acridness of the tubercles.
In spite of their bitter taste, animals
are fon OF them, especially when
cooked.
In 1868, upon farm that cultivated
the Solanum Commersonii, the sever
est cryptogamic maladies known
made their appearance, yet 98 per
cent. Of the tubercles of this new pc
tato were found intact, while of the
Early Rose potato only Is per cent
were good.
Planting is done toward the enc OF
March, preferably in level ground 50
as to diminish drainage. The best
depth seems to he about three inches.
The digging, which is little more
difficult than that Of the Irish potato,
because the numerous tube1cles extend
in every direction, begins when cold
has arrested the growth of the plant.
In the same soil the yield is greatly
superior to that Of the ordinary pc
tato. The Early Rose in one instance
gave 3,Co0 pounds to the acre, TIE
American Marvel 3,0C0 pounds AID the
Solanum Commersonii s. 500 pounds.
This new vegetable does lot seem In
become acclimated until the second
year. The size, appearance and taste,
are modified more rapidly after one.
year.
The new potato requires humid,
fresh, even marsby soil, In cly,
sandy, clayey soil the yield has been 2o-
per cent less than in moist soil. The
absence of sunlight causes smaller
Weld, with smaller and inferior tub
ercles, and ten to fifteen days later
ripening.
The foliage. refused by rabbits, is
eaten by horses, cattle and sheep.
The flowers, whiUh make their ap--
pearance about month after the
plant shows above the soil, continue
to be very abundant until the harvest.
A rude attempt to extract the perfume
has furnished an exquisite, aromatic,
very persistent. bat faint jas me
odor. In the fruit this perfume is so
strong that when specimens were
placed in an arti6cially heated room
to dry, the room was uninhabitable
for the fifteen days they were there.
There are three arieties of Solanum
Commersonii, characterized by the
color of the skin-the yellow, the rose
and the violet The last, which is the
best for human consumption, presents
the following characteristics: Enor-
nous and uninterrupted production
absolute immunity from cryptogamic
maladies, delicious favor much ap-
preciated by ANIMALS, adaptability to.
moist soil, and easy culture.
Billy Floyd, white man p years
old, whose home is in Darlington, was
r. l.