THE POTATO 513 



Walter P. Wright and Edward J. Castle, and pub- 

 lished by Cassel & Company, Limited, London, is 

 the following: 



"Italy would seem to be the first country to 

 give special attention to the newcomer, an Italian 

 named Cardano being early associated with it. 

 The year 1586 is generally admitted to be the date 

 of introduction to Great Britain, Sir Thomas 

 Herriot, a companion to Sir Walter Raleigh, being 

 its introducer. Some authorities are inclined to 

 give the credit of its introduction into Britain to 

 Admiral Drake, who is stated to have sent planters 

 of Virginia especially to bring over the tubers. 



"Be that as it may, it seems certain that the 

 first potatoes known in Great Britain came from 

 Virginia, and it is equally certain that they were 

 first planted in Ireland, near Cork. Switzerland, 

 France, and Germany were the next countries to 

 welcome Solanum tuber osum, but nowhere was 

 it regarded as of particularly high value for food. 

 The famous French botanist, Olivier de Serres, 

 deemed it worthy of a special chapter in a book he 

 published in 1600. To another Frenchman, M. 

 Fraizier, the tuber owes its popular name, it having 

 first been called pomme de terre apple of the 

 earth in a book dealing with that gentleman's 

 voyage to the coasts of Chile. This was in 1716. 

 To a third Frenchman, M. Parmentier, the potato 

 owes its popularization as an article of human food, 

 though the statement that Parmentier had any- 

 thing to do with its introduction is erroneous. 

 Louis XVI seconded the efforts of Parmentier 

 by ordering a large tract of land to be planted 

 with potatoes, and himself wearing a flower of the 

 plant in his buttonhole. 



