CHAPTER XLI 



HISTORY 



IN COMMON with many other food plants, 

 the early history of the potato does not appear 

 to be especially authentic; but there are 

 some points on which most writers agree. 



The potato (Solanum tuberosum) French, 

 pomme de terre; German, kartoffel; Dutch, aarap- 

 pel; Danish, jordepeeren: Italian, patata; Spanish, 

 patatas; American slang, spuds, murphies; Eng- 

 lish slang, tatties belongs to the same family as 

 tobacco, belladonna, tomato, egg plant, and cap- 

 sicum. There are 1,600 species in the family, and 

 but six bear tubers. The wild potato produces 

 seed balls from the flowers, and this is true now of 

 some vines in the valleys of the western slope of 

 the Rocky Mountains. The potato is a native of 

 mountain valleys in South America very similar to, 

 if not identical with, conditions in Colorado and 

 southern Idaho. In its native home it grows at 

 an altitude of 4,000 to 6,000 feet. The potato was 

 probably carried to Spain by returning explorers 

 in the sixteenth century. It was in turn taken to 

 Florida by other Spanish explorers, from there to 

 Virginia, and from that colony to the continent of 

 Europe. 



It is reported that when the Spanish discovered 

 South America Chile and Peru they found 

 the potato an important article of food. 



In "Pictorial Practical Potato Growing," by 



512 



