ROOT CROPS. 211 



In 1699, Evelyn said, " Plant potatoes in your poorest land," 

 implying that they were undeserving of the best. It was not 

 till the middle of the last century that the potato was generally 

 known in England, and its cultivation Avas rather enforced by 

 the partial failure of grain. In Prance, also, strong prejudices 

 prevailed against its introduction as an article of food — 

 prejudices that were overcome only by the perseverance of 

 Parmentier, and the countenance of the king. 



We must not suppose that the potato when first carried to 

 Europe was the same thing that it now is, nor wonder that 

 people mistook the seed-balls for the part to be eaten. There 

 was some room for the opposition it encountered. Ileriot says 

 the roots were as large as walnuts, or a little larger ; even if 

 we suppose he meant English walnuts, the size of the potato 

 would not be very formidable. Capt. Bowles, of the British 

 navy, says, that in some parts of South America, " it is a com- 

 mon weed in the garden, but too bitter for use." Not many 

 years ago wild potatoes from South America were cultivated 

 in England and bore an abundant crop, the largest of which 

 were of the size of a pigeon's egg, and disagreeably bitter, 

 while the vines were seven feet long. Scarcely any vegetable 

 has been more changed by cultivation, both in size and quality. 

 We can form some idea of the change by recalling to mind what 

 the long-red was forty or fifty years ago. Farmers raised it 

 for hogs, and thought the hogs had a hard bargain, so poor and 

 watery was it. Climate, soils, and improved methods of culti- 

 vation, have produced changes in the potato, as in many other 

 vegetables. The rich plum of our gardens is the wild beach 

 plum improved by culture. Celery, so mild and sweet, is pro- 

 duced from the coarse, rank smallage. The cherr}^, in its wild 

 state, is small, hard and bitter. The potato has passed through 

 this transforming process. From poor, watery and innutritious, 

 it has been cultivated into a wholesome, pleasant-tasted and 

 nourishing article of food ; next to wheat, an article of the first 

 importance to mankind. It combines the advantages of large 

 yield, easy culture, adaptation to many varieties of soil, and a 

 great amount of nutritive matter. From no other crop can so 

 much food be obtained on an acre of land, with the same ex- 

 pense, except the tropical banana. In no other thing is the 



