January i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



539 



POTATO CULTIVATION FOE INDLV (ANDOEYLON). 



(Communicated to " Indian Agriculturist.") 

 Class — Dicotyledoneoe. 

 Natural order — Solanacece. 

 Scientific name — Solauum tuberosum, Liuue. 

 English „ Potato. 



Hindustani „ Aloo. 



Bengalee „ Aloo. 



Introduction. 

 The potato belongs to the nightshade order, and wa.s 

 for a long time cousidered a poisonous plant, till at length 

 the prejudice against it was removed. It is a native of 

 South America, growing wild and spontaneously, on low- 

 lying and moist lands. Sir Walter Ealeigh brought the 

 potato plant along with another useful plant, viz., Nico- 

 tianu tolmccum (tobacco), from Virginia in North America, 

 to England, where, for some time, it did not receive that 

 warm reception it deserved. Much earlier than its in- 

 troduction into England, the potato was brought by the 

 Spaniards from Quito, and acclimatized in some of the 

 principal countries in Europe, such as Si)ain, Portugal, 

 France, and Germany, where it received the same fate 

 for some time as in England. In course of time, however, 

 this edible tuber came to be relished by all. The potato 

 now forms one of the staple field products all over tjie 

 world, and is considered a true frieud of the millions of 

 toiling poor. With a little grain flour, the potato forms 

 a very nutritious food. Being very prolific in production, 

 and therefore cheaply obtainable, in Em-ope and America 

 live-stock and working teams are fed with it, boiled or 

 steamed, mashed, and mixed with chaff or other pro- 

 vender ; and has been found very fattening and strength- 

 ening. Besides forming an excellent tuber for the table 

 and for live-stock, it has been reduced, in Europe and 

 America, to many other uses. Potato starch is used in 

 perfumery ; a kind of wine is distilled from it ; it is also 

 used in confectionery. For such uses as these India has 

 none, nor is it used as live-stock food. 



It is not known whether it is indigenous to India. 

 From the very few localities — large cities and places near 

 them, where it is cultivated, it appears that potato was 

 brought to India by the first European settlers. In rural 

 places in India, where the natives are the only cultiv- 

 ators, the potato is not to be met with even now. Some 

 few Mahomedan and Hindoo cultivators, who have eaten 

 this tuber in the cities, have in some few localities in- 

 troduced it ; but generally, it is confined to the cities 

 only. 



Though Europe and America recognize many varieties, 

 India has only two, viz., the hill jwtato and the jilain 

 potato. The hi/l potato is known by the native name joa/ff;;'; 

 aloo. It has a white skin, is large in size, and is raised 

 in the hilly tracts of the sub-Himalayas ; but is also grown 

 in the plains where it degenerates rapidly, not retaining 

 its original size and flavour. It is the favourite potato 

 with Europeans, but not much relished by natives. The 

 plain potato, called da.^^c aloo, has two varieties, one having 

 a white skin, and the other red. This red variety has 

 also red streaks in the heart of the tuber. These potatos 

 are much smaller in size, and are confined to the plains. 

 They are not relished by the Europeans ; but the natives 

 like them, and are chiefly raised for them. 

 Cli7uate. 

 Most parts of India, having proper soil, are suited to 

 potato cultivation. The cold hill tracts suiting the hill 

 potato, and the hot plains the other varieties. No degree of 

 cold injures the plant; but excessive frost will, if the 

 soil lacks moistm'e, injure the haulm and leaves entirely — 

 in fact, it will kill the plant, leaving the tubers stunted 

 in growth. Such cases are not unfrequent, where the 

 cultivator has not attended to irrigation in the frosty 

 month of January. 



7^imc of plantinfj. 



There is no fixed time for planting seed potato for 

 kitchen use — generally from the latter part of August to 

 the end of October in the plains ; aud up to December 

 in the hills. If unattended with rain, it may be planted 

 in the plains, in the latter part of August. Market 

 gardeners, for the sake of an extra profit bj' obtaining 

 an early supply of tubers, plant at this time ; but have 

 often to lose the first planting by the many heavy falls 

 of rain frequent in August and the first half of Sep- 



tember, and have to replant after the rains are over. In 

 Iniiia, in the Upper Western Provinces, rains generally 

 subside in the latter part of September ; the potato there- 

 fore as a main crop might safely be planted then and 

 there. The general rule is to plant it after the thorough 

 cessation of the rains. 



Geoyraj)kical distribution. 

 The potato being an exotic plant, no place of native 

 habitat of this plant in India can be given. Being a plant 

 which delights iu temperate and humid climate, and found 

 in the moist, low-lyiug lands of South America, it will 

 be found growing best all over those parts of Bengal which 

 are low aud moist up to the submontane tracts of the 

 Himalayas, extending from the ea.st to the extreme west 

 of India as far as Peshawar, including the hills. The 

 further East of India, Burmah is peculiarly suited to potato- 

 growing. In addition to these localities, many other places 

 will be found, as far as soil is concerned, suiting this 

 plant. 



iSoil. 

 The soil suiting the potato is a sandy loam of the 

 calcareous order. The species which has more lime and 

 less humus is its favorite soil. The following composition 

 of the soil will have to be maintained by the cultivator 

 if a superior crop is required to be raised : — 



Olay 30 parts. 



Humus 4 „ 



Lime 5 „ 



Sand 61 „ 



100 parts: 



Chemistry of the potato plant. 

 If a potato plant be taken, and divided into three dis- 

 tinct parts, viz.: (1) tuber, (2} stem, (3) leaves, and burnt 

 in such a manner that nothing in the process of biu-ning 

 escapes, on examination it will be found that — 

 (1) Tuber contains 4g parts of ash, or nwrya/i/f matter. 



95| parts of volatUe, or organic matter. 



100 



14 9, 10 parts of ash or inorganic matter. 

 85 1/10 parts of volatile, or oceanic matter. 



100 



(2) Stem 



(.3) Leaves „ 15 1/10 parts of ash, or inori/anic matter. 

 84 9/10 parts of volatile, or organic matter. 



100 



From the above, it will be seen that the tuber of the 

 potato contains very little inorganic elements, and the leaves 

 and stems the most. As a whole, the potato has nearly 

 11^ parts of inorganic matter, and 88 2/3 parts of oraanic 

 matter out of 100 parts. 



The following chemical analysis of the different parts 

 of the ashes of the potato plant will be found a good 

 and reliable guide for the cultivator for the purpose of 

 applying suitable manure, in quality aud quantity, on the 

 field he wishes to raise this edible tuber. The figures of 

 the table have, purposely, been put in pounds, as it has 

 been found to be more easy of adoption iu practice: 



Total lb. 



100 



100 



100 



In the above table potash is the most abundant element 

 iu the tuber and stem. In the leaves, however, it occu- 



