THE POTATO. 129 



it may extend north or south ; I know not. It chiefly 

 inhabits the cliffs and hills near the sea, and I do not 

 recollect to have seen it at more than two or three 

 leagues from the coast. But there is one peculiarity 

 in the wild plant that I have never seen noticed in 

 print, that its flowers are always pure while, free 

 from the purple tint so common in the cultivated 

 varieties; and this, I think, is a strong evidence of its 

 native origin. Another proof may be drawn from 

 the fact, that while it is often met with in mountain- 

 ous places, remote from cultivated ground, it is not 

 seen in the immediate neighbourhood of the fields 

 and gardens where it is planted, unless a stream of 

 water run through the ground, which may carry 

 tubers to uncultivated spots. Having observed the 

 distribution of this and other plants through the 

 agency of the streams employed for irrigating the 

 land, I am led to think, that the wild specimens 

 found near lama may have had similar origin. If 

 they occurred in the valley, this is more than pro- 

 bable, as almost the whole of the land is either culti- 

 vated by irrigation, or the uncultivated spots are 

 overflowed when the river is swelled by the rains in 

 the interior. Upon the whole, it may be safely con- 

 cluded that this important vegetable is really indige- 

 nous to Chili ; but with respect to Peru, some 

 further evidence appears necessary to remove all 

 doubt on the subject. The question can only be 

 decided by ascertaining the exact situations in which 

 the plants present themselves at Lima and Chancay, 

 especially with respect to land that is or has been 

 cultivated. It would be interesting, too, to know 

 the colour of the flowers.' 



Though now so extensively used, the value of this 

 root as an esculent was not perfectly appreciated for 

 a great length of time in this country, during which 

 period it was indeed only cultivated in gardens, and 



