190 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Afternoon Session. 



Mr. Abbott, of Lapeer, called tho meeting to order, and the first subject 

 announced ^Yas 



HISTORY OF THE POTATO,-ITS CULTURE AND VARIETIES. 



Prof. James Satterlee of the Ajrricultural Collesrc led the discussion as fol- 

 lows : 



The potato is now tlie most widely cultivated and most valuable of all escu- 

 lent tubers. Its spread and increasinoj importance for the last hundred 3'ear8 

 has been wonderful. It is a native of America, probably of both the northern 

 and southern continents. It was described by Gerard in his "Herball," au 

 English Avork published in 159S, under the name of Potata Virginiana. The 

 name giveu by Linnajus, however, Solanum tubersum, is the one now used by 

 botanists. It is the most important member of the natural order Solonacea, 

 which includes many valuable plants used and misused by man. It is grow- 

 ing to be a necessity throughout the temperate zone of both hemispheres. It 

 is the poor man's friend, the rich man's necessity. It has found its way into 

 the bill of fare of all civilized nations, and is second only to bread in scores of 

 millions of households. The common name was probably corrupted from tho 

 native American name of papas by the Spaniards, who called it bottatag, 

 which was softened by the Portuguese to batatas, and by tho English to jiotato. 



It is a native of the elevated tropical valleys of Peru, Chili and ^Mexico, 

 although Humboldt failed to find it growing in Peru in his explorations there. 

 Prof. J. B. Steere^ of our State University, found two or throe will varieties 

 growing near the upper Amazon in his recent visit to South America. He 

 sent specimens to Harvard university and other places for trial. Professor 

 Lenimon, of the California academy of science, found during the past sum- 

 mer in Southern Arizona two or three varieties of indigenous potatoes. They 

 were gi'owing there in the mountain meadows, where the surrounding peaks 

 were ten thousand feet in height. They grow abundantly as large as walnuts. 

 I have here some specimens grown by Professor Beal in tho wild garden at the 

 Agricultural College. They were obtained by him from Harvard university. 



The potato was introduced into Great Britain by Sir John Hawkins in loOo, 

 although the introduction is commonly accredited to Sir Walter Raleigh in 

 158G. It was probably introduced into Virginia by the early Spanish explor- 

 ers from Florida, and into Florida from northern Mexico, Arizona, or per- 

 haps as far east as the highlands of Texas. 



Tliey became known in the south of Europe and in Ireland sometime before 

 being introduced into Great Britain. Houghton, one of the early English 

 agricultural writers speaks of its spreading " the whole country over," from 

 Lancashire, where a boat was wrecked, near the end of the ITth century. 

 He speaks of their great productiveness and says they are excellent eaten with 

 butter and sugar. He also referred to a more valuable variety imported from 

 Spain and selling at Cd per pound. It was introduced into New England from 

 Ireland, but was not much improved at the end of the 18th century. In 1771 

 only two varieties are mentioned, a white and a red, by tho most important 

 English work on gardening, and were there spoken of as good food for swino 

 and cattle. 



Tliere has been a constant improvement, however, in the number of valua- 

 ble varieties for the last fifty years. The value of the crop is constantly 



