HORTUS GHAM1NEUS WOBUHNENSIS. 409 



foliage and culms are very nutritive ; but it runs much to stalks, 

 and the after-grass is very trifling. 



the most authentic records agree in giving the merit to the illustrious Sir Walter 

 Raleigh, who brought it from Virginia in 1584. " The president of the Royal 

 Society (Sir R. Southwell) related that potatoes were first introduced into Ireland 

 by his grandfather, who had them from Sir Walter Raleigh, after his return from 

 Virginia.* 



The culture of potatoes is well known. They are a very impoverishing root to 

 the soil. 



The yam potatoe is very productive, attains to a large size, but is often hollow, 

 and less nutritive than most others. 64 dr. afford of nutritive matter 190 grains, 

 which consist of starch 164 grains, and saccharine and albuminous matter 26. 



The ox-noble is a very productive variety, contains more nutritive matter than 

 the yam, but less than several others. 64 dr. afford 1 95 grains of nutritive matter, 

 consisting of starch 164, and saccharine, mucilaginous, albuminous matters, 31. 



The purple-red potatoe is smaller than .the preceding, but well-flavoured and 

 very prolific. 64 dr. afforded me 200 grains of nutritive matter, which appeared to 

 consist of starch 169, albuminous and saccharine matters 31 grains. 



The hundred-eye variety is very prolific on dry loams ; it contains rather more 

 nutritive matter than the foregoing. 64 dr. afford 218 grains of nutritive matter, 

 which afforded starch 170 grains, albuminous and other matters 48. 



The rough-red produces plentiful crops on soils of a moister nature than that 

 adapted for the hundred-eyed variety; it is well-flavoured. 64 dr. afforded 250 

 grains of nutritive matter, which consisted of starch 204, and saccharine, mucilagi- 

 nous, and albminous matters, 46. 



Champion : this variety grows to a moderate size, is very productive, and but 

 little subject to the curl disease. 64 dr. contain 260 grains of nutritive matter, con- 

 sisting of starch 199, mucilage, sugar, and albumen, 61. 



Soluble matter, 

 gum or mucilage, extractive 

 and saline matters, 

 not perfectly dry. Pure starch. Fibre. Water. 



In 7000 grains, or one pound of the bread-fruit 



potatoe, I found by careful and repeated trials 975 - 548 - 477 - 5000 grs. 

 An equal weight of the Barbadoes potatoe 



(introduced by the Duchess of Bedford) 



consisted of - 980 - 667 - 616 - 4737 



An equal weight of the black-kidney potatoe 



afforded - 970 - 695 - 622 - 4713 



The quantity of water therefore contained in raw potatoes is much greater than 

 has been supposed. Dressing the potatoe by steam, roasting, or by boiling, and 

 afterwards drying them over the fire, must render this root more highly valuable as 

 food for cattle, than when it is given to them in a recent state. 



Carrots (Daucus carota). The garden or cultivated carrot is supposed to be an 

 accidental variety of the wild carrot, a common weed in sandy loams (see Engl. 

 Bot. 1174). There are four varieties of the common carrot, distinguished by their 

 colour ; as the long-red, the orange, the white, or Walcheren, and the early-horn 



* Minutes of the Royal Society, December, 13, 1693. 



