Chap. Vlf.] Potatoes. 155 



do not like to join battle. Of one thing I am very 

 glad ; and that is, that the Irish do not like to live 

 upon what their accomplished countryman Doctor 

 Drexnan, calls " Ireland's lazy root." There is more 

 sound political philosophy in that poem than in all the 

 enormous piles of Plowden and Musgrave. When I 

 called it a lazy root ; -when I satyrized the use of it ; the 

 Irish seemed to think that their national honour was 

 touched. But, I am happy to find, that it is not taste, but 

 necessity, which makes them mess-mates with the pig ; 

 for when they come to this country, they invariably prefer 

 to their ^^ favourite root," not only fowls, geese, ducks 

 and turkeys, but eA'en the flesh of oxen, pigs and 

 sheep ! 



268. In 1815, I wrote an article, which I will here 

 insert, because it contains my opinions upon this sub- 

 ject. And when I have done that, I will add some 

 calculations as to the comparative value of an acre ef 

 wheat and an acre of potatoes. The article was a 

 letter to the Editor of the Agricultural 3Iagazine ; and 

 was in the following Mords : 



To THE Editor of the Agricultural Magazine. 



269. In an article of your Magazine for the month of 

 September last, on the subject of my Letters to Lord 

 Sheffield, an article Avilh which, upon the whole, I have 

 reason to be very proud, you express your dissent with 

 me upon some matters, and particularly relative to 

 potatoes. The passage to which I allude, is in these 

 words : " As to a former diatribe of his on Potatoes, we 

 " regarded it as a pleasant example of argiunent for 

 " argument's sake; as an agreeable jumble of truth and 

 " of mental rambling." 



270. Now, Sir, I do assure j-ou, that I never was 

 more serious in my life, than when I wrote the essay, or, 

 rather, casually made the observations against the cul- 

 tivation and use of this icoise than useless root. If it 

 was argument for argument's sake, no one, that I can 

 recollect, ever did me the honour to show that the argu- 

 ment was fallacious. I think it a subject of great im- 



