THE POTATO. .127 



who stated to Mr Arthur Young that the venerable 

 Bede mentioned this plant as being in Ireland about 

 the year 700. Sir Lucius did not, however, point 

 out the passage containing any proof of his assertion ; 

 and the potato, largely as it is cultivated in that 

 country, has not yet made out its title to a place in 

 ;the indigenous flora of Ireland. 



Gerarde mentions in his Herbal, published 1597, 

 "that he cultivated this plant in his garden, where it 

 succeeded as well as in its native country. He 

 gives a drawing, which he distinguishes by the name 

 of Virginian potato, having, as he states, received 

 the roots from Virginia, otherwise called JVozetn- 

 bega. It was, however, considered by him as a 

 rarity, for he recommends that the root should be 

 eaten as a delicate dish, and not as common food. 



From the authority of more than one writer, it 

 would appear that the potato was brought into 

 southern Europe through a different channel, and 

 at an earlier period than the introduction of the root 

 from Virginia into this country. Clusius relates 

 that he obtained this root at Vienna in 1598, from 

 the governor of Mons in Hainault, who had pro- 

 cured it in the preceding year from Italy, where, in 

 common with the truffle, it had received the name of 

 taratouffli. Peter Cieca, in his Chronicle, printed 

 in 1553, chap, xl, p. 49, relates that the inhabitants 

 of Quito and its vicinity, besides producing maize, 

 cultivated a tuberous root which was used as food 

 under the name of papas : this, it is affirmed, is 

 the same plant which had been transplanted to the 

 south of Europe, and which Clusius received from 

 Hainault. 



Humboldt rather doubts if sufficient proof can be 

 produced of this root having been indigenous to 

 South America. Upon the interesting subject of 



