THE SWEET POTATO. 



and was at that time iutroduced into many maritime 

 districts of Baetica. The sweet potato as raised at 

 Malaca (a city in Baetica) was considered the finest, 

 and had been previously exported to Cadiz, Spain, 

 and Ulosipons. 



Specimens taken to Belgium would not sprout and 

 soon spoiled before he could plant them. 



He doubts that the plant was known to the 

 ancients, and knows no Greek or Latin name for 

 them. He gives the names Batatas, Camotes, 

 Amotes, and Ajes, which he hears do not differ, 

 except, perhaps, that the Batatas have longer and 

 more tender roots. 



The Inhame, which he describes next, is certainly 

 the Dioscorea batatas. He had several specimens 

 a foot or more in length and four inches in diameter, 

 and he describes them as being all rough, like the 

 long roots of Aristolochia, and tasting at first pleas- 

 ant, when eaten raw, but becoming after a short time 

 somewhat sharp, 



Clusius gives three figures, one of the roots of 

 ''camotes" still hanging together at the top, one of 

 the Batatas vine and roots, and another of the 

 Inhame Lusitanorum, and his figure of the Inhame 

 shows a yam. 



In 1623, Bauliin (in his Pinax, p. 91) refers to 

 the sweet potato as batatas, battades, and potatoes 

 called camotes in the West Indies. He describes 

 three types, all radish-shaped, but much larger, dis- 

 tinguished by their exterior coloring, which may be 

 either purplish, pale, or pure white. He states that 

 it serves as a common food to the "negroes" in the 

 West Indies, is used in Angra, and is mentioned by 

 Linschoten as occurring in the East Indies, where it 

 takes the place of fruit and vegetables. Linschoten 's 



