HISTORY OF THE POTATO. 99 



disease, — the confusion of names — the record of failures in two 

 volumes, that of successes, in one, — it is assumed that there is 

 truth somewhere, which has not been ascertained ; and as a pre- 

 liminary step towards its attainment, it is suggested that the 

 Board of Agriculture cause to be made, a catalogue of all the 

 varieties cultivated in the State, to which should be added year by 

 year, new varieties as they appear. 



In all probability, there is not a cultivated variety of the potato, 

 which retains intact the aboriginal characteristics of the wild 

 prototype. Each is a fruit of crossing, many times repeated, which 

 has given to us a potato modified by cross impregnation, and by 

 all the influences connected with soil, climate, culture and local 

 condition. IIow much this has led to divergence of characters, 

 or rendered this modified plant impotent to resist the attacks of 

 insects or disease, is not fully known. 



Many plants change in character under domestication. The 

 proportion of gluten in wheat differ much in different climates. 

 The pea shows a strong tendency to vary in certain soils. Some 

 varieties completely change character. The sugar beet has 

 doubled its saccharine juice since its cultivation in France. The 

 hemlock will not yield conicine in Scotland. Rhubarb grown in 

 England partly loses the medicinal qualities which make it so 

 valuable in Chinese Tartary. The sassafras in Europe loses the 

 odor proper to it in America. The oak is worthless when grown 

 at the Cape of Good Hope. The cabbage will not head in tropical 

 countries. The yellow of the cotton goods so popular forty years 

 ago, known as nankin or nankeen, is said to be due, not to any 

 artificial coloring, as is natural to suppose, but to the peculiar 

 soil in which the cotton grows. This soil is strongly impregnated 

 with iron. 



A word of caution and encouragement, and I close. The 

 present excitement in regard to new varieties in a measure rivals 

 that of the tulip mania in the llth century. 



When a cow has beei]i exchanged for a single potato — when 

 $50 have been tendered for one tuber without buying it, — 

 when $20,000 have been ofiered and refused, for a limited number 

 of bushels, it is hard to tell which most abounds, sense or 

 nonsense. 



With the new sorts already offered, with others to come, we 

 may anticipate some interesting developments in potato culture. 

 We deprecate a panic. 



