1815.) | M. Parmentier. — 165 
This enabled him to devote the whole of his time to his zeal for 
researches of general utility. From that moment he ‘never inter- 
rupted them. 
The first opportunity of publishing some results respecting his 
favourite subject had been given him in 1771 by the Academy of 
Besancon. ‘The scarcity in 1769 had drawn the attention of the 
administration and of philosophers towards vegetables which might 
supply the place of corn, and the Academy had made the history of 
them the subject of a prize, which Parmentier gained. He endea- 
voured to prove in his dissertation that the most useful nourishing 
substance in vegetables is starch, and he showed how it might be 
extracted from the roots and seeds of different mdigenous_ plants, 
and how deprived of the acrid and poisonous principles which alter 
it in some plants. He pointed out likewise the mixtures which 
would assist in converting this starch into good bread, or at least 
into a kind of biscuit fit for being eaten in soup. * 
There is no doubt that in certain cases some advantage may be 
derived from the methods which he proposes; but as most of the 
plants pointed out are wild, scanty, and would cost more than the 
dearest corn, absolute famine is the only thing that could induce 
mankind to make use of them. Parmentier easily perceived that it 
was better to turn the attention of cultivators to such plants as 
would render a famine, or even a scarcity, impossible. He there- 
fore recommended the potatoe with all his might, and opposed with 
constancy the prejudices which opposed themselves to the propaga- 
tion of this important root. 
Most botanists, and Parmentier himself, have stated on the autho- 
rity of Gaspar Bauhin that the potatoe was brought from Virginia 
about the end of the sixteenth century; and they usually ascribe to 
the celebrated and unfortunate Ralegh the honour of having first 
brought it to Europe. I thiak it more probable that it was brought 
from Peru by the Spaniards, Ralegh only went to Virginia in the 
year 1586; and we may conclude, from the testimony of Cluvius, 
that in 1587 the potatoe was common in different parts of Italy, 
and that it was already given to cattle in that country. This sup- 
poses at least several years of cultivation. This vegetable was 
ointed out about the end of the sixteenth century by several 
Spanish writers, as cultivated in the environs of Quito, where it 
was called papas, and where different kinds of dishes were prepared 
from it: and, what seems decisive, Banister and Clayton, who have 
investigated the indigenous plants of Virginia with ‘great care, do 
not reckon the potatoe among the number; and Banister mentions 
expressly that he had for 12 years sought in vain for that plant ; ¢ 
* The memoir which gained the prize on this question : Indiguer les Vegetaux 
44i pourroient suppléer en Temps de Disette & ceux qu'on employe *communément 
4 la Nourrituredes Hommes, Paris, Knapen, 1773, in 12mo, 
+ Morison, Hist, Plant. Exot. iii, 522. 
