The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1907-06-14
THE FOOD VALUE OF
THE IRISH Potato
Water and Starch Constitute Ninety
Six Per Cent. of Its Com
position.

food most commonly found upon the
table is the white or Irish potato
This vegetable, now SO popular, has
not been known to the people of the
civilized countries as long as the
beans and peas, which were discussed
In the last paper. In fact the potato
as an article of food, is compare.
lively recent discovery.
The name Irish potato is SO com.
monty applied to this plant, that many
believe 1t to be native of Ireland.
1t Is, however, product of the new
world, and was found under. cultiva-
ton by the natives when America was
discovered. 1t is believed that pota-
toes were carried from South America
to Spain early in the sixteenth cen
fury and also introduced into Vir-
GINA by the Spanish explorers His
torians differ as to whom belongs the
credit of introducing this vegetable
into Great Britain, but the majority
of them agree that Sir Walter Raleigh
took potatoes from North Carolina to
his estate in Ireland about the year
1886.
Many amusing stories are written
regarding the attempts to use the
plant as food, and while these stories
may not be entirely authentic they
are interesting. The seed potatoes
were distributed among Sir Raliegh's
tenants without instruction as to what
part of this new world food was to
be eaten. When the potatoes came
up the high green tender looking tops
were taken to be some kind of salad
plant, but they were not found relish
able in raw state. AS the tops grew
larger 1t was supposed they were to
be used as greens and so were stewed.
One can readily imagine the house
keepers disgust at the disagreeable
dish. When the balls appeared on the
tops of the plant the people were sure
they had found the proper part of the
plant to eat. However, when many Of
them were made i'll by eating stewed
potato balls, they abandoned all at
tempts to cultivate the strange new
food. After time the tubers were
discovered, but as there was popu.
lar belief that the plant was poison
GUS many years elapsed before they
were cultivated as an article of food.
Even then the potato came into favor
slowly and nearly two centuries
passed by before this much despised
product Of the western world was
served as part of the daily diet of the
common people.
Botanically the white potato be-
longs to the Solanum or poison Night
Shade family, and is related to the to.
mato and egg plant, as they belong to
the same family.
The potato gives a slight indication
that there is bad blood" in the fam
lily, in the fact that there is minute
quantity of poison acid in it's juices,
chiefly in the skin. The poison called |
Solanin Is, however, readily dissipated
by heat.
The potato contains large amount
Of starch that has commercial value
aside from its food value. This potato
starch is used in the manufacture OF
glucose, used in syrups and confec.
tionery, in the manufacture of alcohol
and in the preparation of British gum,
lound on the backs of labels.
In certain parts of Bolivia, the
small wild potato is gathered by the
natives, allowed to freeze and then
tried. When bone dry these potatoes
ire pounded into meal, which is
to a dough and then baked
n thin cakes on hot stones.
In Russia and other European coun
;ries potatoes are dried and ground
INTO a -four that is mixed with rye
barley, millet, or peas, in the making
" bread.
The food value Of the potato lies
chiefly in the starch 1t contains. The
GLOWING table gives the percentage
of the white potato:
Water, per cent. $50
'rotein, or muscle building food, per
cent. Observation-Disclosures. "a
tarch, or energy food, per cent 1875
at, energy food per cent.
iineral matter, builds bone. per cent. 10
The accompanying cut taken from
farmers bulletin. issued at Wash.
ngton, shows more clearly than the
cures do, the relative amounts Of the
ifferent substances founi in the
verage white potato.
1t will be clearly seen that the DO.
alto can not be called a complete
bod, as there is but little material to
uild and repair muscular tissue.
II potatoes alone we're eaten the
verage adult would require about ~
ounds daily to secure the needed
mount of muscle building food.
The potato is almost entirely want |
lg in fat. In order to make the DO.
Ito desirable article of diet It must 8
3 eaten with such foods as meat, fish.
sgs, milk or cheese to supply the t
eeded proteid and fat The pioneer a
Ssh Of baked potatoes and milk SUP. 7
les all the material necessary to n
ourish the body. 1t will be seen from a
le composition of the potato that II a
not suitable food for the almost ex. IL
usive use of little child at the u