228 Dr. Scoulek on the Introduction of the Potato into Scotland. 



Lowland farmer. In the Country inaii's Rudiments, 1723, we have the 

 following advice to the farmers from Lord Belhaven, " for roots I advise 

 you to sow potatoes and turnips, a larger or lesser quantity as you affect 

 most, but rather potatoes, because being once plauted they will never 

 fail, they require little more labour than to keep the ground where they 

 grow free from grass. The Flandrian boors make so much of this root, 

 and had such plenty thereof, that both the Confederates and French 

 army found great support thereby, by feeding the common soldiers most 

 plenteously ; it is both delicious and wholesome." (p. 33.) 



It appears, however, that notwithstanding this advice, founded upon 

 observations which prove that the potato was extensively cultivated in 

 the low country, that it was unknown in the east of Scotland, while its 

 value was gradually becoming known in the districts adjacent to Ireland 

 and the Western Islands. It appears from Sleivart's Tiicd, 1753, that 

 they were generally cultivated in Argyleshire, especially in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Glencoe. The earliest notice 1 find of their introduction into 

 Ayrshire, occurs in Boheiison's Rural Recollections, in which he says, 

 "from an old lease which I have seen, dated in 1729, between John 

 Montgomery the proprietor and his tenant William Liddle, of the lands 

 of Broadlee, in the parish of Dairy, it is stipulated that the tenant shall 

 allow the laird to cultivate a certain quantity of land yearly for potatoes 

 so far as he can find dung." The progress of the potato cultivation must 

 have been very slow, for the same author informs us that in the year 

 1733, the potato was served up for supper several times in the Eglinton 

 family. It would appear, therefore, that the potato was considered 

 rather as a garden vegetable than as an important crop for the farmer. 

 If the narration in the statistical account of the parish of Kilsyth be 

 correct, the merit of introducing the potato into general use belongs to 

 Eobcrt Graham, of Tamrawer, in that parish. It is stated that before 

 1739, he and others had raised them in gardens, but it was a common 

 prejudice that they could not be raised anywhere else to advantage. Mr. 

 Graham, to show the absurdity of this opinion, planted about half an acre 

 of ground in the croft of Neilston, where he then resided; the report of it 

 soon spread far and wide, insomuch that people of all denominations, and 

 some noblemen of the highest rank, among whom was the Earl of Perth, 

 came to visit the plantation ; and further, he rented lands in the vicinity 

 of the towns of Renfrew, Perth, Dundee, Glasgow, and Edinburgh, on 

 speculation, and for many years he obtained the premium for cultivating 

 potatoes. 



In accordance with these statements, it appears that previous to 1746, 

 Glasgow was supplied with potatoes from the Highlands, at all events 

 water-borne, and subsequently the city began to obtain supplies from 

 the surrounding districts. The following extract from the Glasgow 

 Journal (271), gives us much curious information respecting the spread 

 of the potato, which is contained in a proclamation by the magistrates 

 regulating the sale of that vegotable. " Oct. 6th, 174:6. — Whereas the 



