156 Mr. G. Ord on the Natural Habitat of the Common Potato j 



been ascertained to be deleterious^ and it has been boldly as- 

 serted that both men and beasts have been poisoned by eating of 

 the vegetable when it was in a morbid state. Do not, I beseech 

 you, give countenance to such opinions as these : they may be 

 productive of great evil. Where is that individual who has not 

 frequently observed at his domestic board an unsound potato ? 

 What is that blackish morbid matter which is often seen in the 

 centre of the tuber ? — the evidence of the very rot in question. 

 When we detect it in our dish we merely abstain from eating what 

 is by no means palatable, and finish our meal without the least 

 suspicion that there has been '^poison in the pot." 



Believe me to be, my dear Sir, most sincerely yours. 

 To Sir W, Jardinej Bart. G. Okd. 



The discovery of America made known to the world three ve- 

 getable productions, which have acquired a character from their 

 intrinsic qualities that is worthy of note — the common potato, the 

 maize, and the tobacco. The first two have contributed greatly 

 to the means of human sustenance, and consequently to the 

 augmentation of population, especially in those countries where 

 the ordinary bread-corn is of difficult or expensive cultivation. 

 The last is a luxury which seems destined to know no limit but 

 that of the human race. 



The period of the introduction into Europe of the potato, the 

 Solanum tuberosum, has been the subject of frequent discussion ; 

 and writers are not yet agreed on this point. From various 

 sources we learn that this plant was cultivated in the southern 

 parts of Europe not long after the discovery of America ; hence 

 there is reason to presume that it formed part of the vegetable 

 collections which were transported into Spain by the adventurers 

 under Christopher Columbus. This illustrious navigator made 

 four voyages to America in the following years : — 



First voyage in 1492-1493. 



Second „ 1493-1494, 1495, 1496. 



Third „ 1498. 



Fourth „ 1502, 1503, 1504. 



As there has existed a difierence of opinion with regard to the 

 natural habitat of the common potato, it may be well to state 

 that it was never found in any of the West India islands, either 

 wild or cultivated, by the early navigators ; the root named by 

 the aborigines of Hispaniola ages being undoubtedly the sweet 

 potato, the Convolvulus batatas of botanists. 



From Peter Martyr's account of the first voyage of Columbus 

 we extract the following passage. Speaking of the natives of 



