Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1911-06-15
Interesting Potato Facts.

Of all nature s products which con-
tribute to mans food, none is of SO
general and universal use as the po-
tato. Its actual origin is unknown, but
it is generally believed to have been
native of the tropical regions of
South America, Chile and Peru, -four
ishing there long before Columbus
started on his eventful voyage, says
Produce News.
The Spaniards, who took the plant to
Spain early in the sixteenth century,
are also credited with introducing it
into Florida, whence it was taken into
Virginia. From Spain it found it's way
into other continental European coun-
tries, but it was many years before it
acquired any great Importance.
| 1t is claimed to have been brought
into England from Virginia by Sir
John Hawkins in 1868, and later by
| colonists under Sir Walter Raleigh in
1886, and grown on his estate near
Cork, becoming known as food in Ire
land long before it was cultivated in
| England.
| 1t was not until 1868 that it's valu-
able properties became generally under
stood, and still longer before it was
grown to any great extent. Not until
| the middle of the eighteenth century
did it attain so much Importance in
Europe outside of Ireland, and even
as late as 1771 they were considered
| chiefly as food for cattle and hogs in
England.
In France a prejudice existed against
them for a long period and they did not
become popular there until within the
| nineteenth century.
They were but little regarded in Vir-
ginia, and seem to have been unknown
in New England until brought there
from Ireland in the latter part of the.
eighteenth century. The fact of their
being so much longer cultivated in
Ireland than elsewhere accounts for
their being styled the "Irish potato"
and as the "white potato,' to dis
tinguish them from the yellow or sweet
potato.
In the vegetable kingdom the potato
is allied to several narcotic plants, as
tobacco, henbane and belladonna, as
also to such esculents as the tomato.
eggplant and capsicum. In some coun-
tries the tender tops of the plant are
eaten as spinach, and the unripe berries
picked, or when ripe prepared like
those of its ally, the tomato. The fruit
or seed ball is goblular and purplish.
and about the size of the gooseberry.
Potatoes are hardy and thrive in most
all countries. They yield best in north
ern parts of the United States, par
ticularly in New York and New Eng
land and also in Canada. One of their
leading qualities is extraordinary pro-
ductiveness, an equal amount of ground
often yielding thirty times more weight
IN potatoes than wheat. They are
propagated by cuttings from the tubers,
by which means only can particular
varieties be secured, the seed of single
ball often producing many varieties,
and cannot be relied ON to propagate
the parent stock.
Like other vegetables, the potato has
its enemies and diseases. What is com
monty known as the "diseaseD is the
most destructive. This appeared in
America about 1s40-42, and in England
IN lS45, and so great was its destruct-
lveness In Ireland in 1916 that it was
the main cause of the great Irish fam
Inc, through the loss of the potato crop.
on which the people almost entirely
depended for food. Since that period
1t has caused immense destruction an
nually, and no effective remedy has vet
been discovered.
Inc general belief is that the potatoes
are cultivated solely for food, and while
TINS IS in the main correct, for there
Is hardly home in all the civilized
world where 1t is a stranger to the
liable, yet there are vast quantities used
Tor other purposes, it being one of the
leading factors in the production of
starch, both in America and Europe.
and generally served to cheaper that
article. In the north of Europe a spirit
1or drinking purposes is made by dis
tlllatlon, called "potato brandy,0 and
IN Germany alcohol is produced, which
somewhat accounts for the immense
production in those sections.
From statistics of the past five years
IL would seem that the average yearly
production of potatoes throughout the
world reaches the immense quantity of
over 5000 100000 bushels, which, at an
estimated value of so cents, would show
valuation of So, 500,0O0,00O. Allowing
an average yield per acre of $50 bush.
els, would indicate the cultivation of
ABOUT 55,O0O,O00 acres in the production
OF years potato crop.
Inc leading potato producing coun-
trles and their yearly crops are about
as follows:
North America-United States. 3Oo.-
uoo,ooo bushels; Canada, 10000 900
bushels; Mexico, 100000 bushels.
south America, 10000, 900 bushels.
Europe-Germany, 100000 bushels:
russia, 100000 bushels; Austria and
Ireland, 25o,oO0,oOO bushels; Belgium,
9o,ooO,Ooo bushels; Sweden, sO.Ooo 600
bushels; Spain, sO,OOO,OOO bushels; rest
OF Europe, 3OO,OOO,OOO bushels.