26 THE SWEET POTATO. 



on tliis subject. Below has been given such a sum- 

 mary, as compiled from references found through- 

 out the literature consulted. The writer has 

 purposely omitted to state ^tlie sources in which these 

 were found, as most of them occur in many books, 

 and it would require much useless labor to deter- 

 mine which author gave a particular reference first. 



The sweet potato was probably first recorded by 

 Oviedo, as found in 1492 in Cuba, and as being intro- 

 duced into Spain in 1526. From the West Indies it 

 was also reported by F. Columbus, Gomara, Sloane 

 1696, Hughes 1750, Tussac 1808, Descourtilz 1821-29, 

 Schomburgk 1840, and Grisebach 1864. 



In Brazil it was observed by Marcgrav 1640, Piso 

 16— (?), Vellozo 1827, Martins 1829, Stade (?). 

 From Peru it is reported by de Vega, Feullee, Hum- 

 boldt, Markliam, and Seemann. In Mexico it was 

 seen by linger; Merian, 1705, describes it as culti- 

 vated in Guiana; Catesby, 1731, and Michaux, 1820, 

 report it as much grown in the Carolinas. 



In Spain it was well known at an early time, and 

 was mentioned by Oviedo in 1526 as brought from 

 Cuba, by Cardamus in 1556, and Clusius in 1576. 



By the Spaniards it was introduced into the East 

 Indies, where it was distributed by the Portuguese 

 (De Candolle, Orig. des Plant Cult.). In India, 

 where it was brought very early, we find successive 

 mention of it as follows: Acosta 1582, Osbeckius, 

 Burmann 1737 (Ceylon), Piso, Lisboa, Roxburgh 

 1820, Wallich 1828, Piddington 1832, Birdwood 1862, 

 Drury 1864, Stewart 1869, Hooker 1880, Watt 1872, 

 Baden-Powell 1872, Campbell 1873, Atkinson 1876, 

 V. Mueller 1880, Burns (?), Firm (?). 



In the East Indies it is mentioned by Eheede 1678, 

 Commelin 1696, Rumphius 1750, Loureiro 1790, 



