THE POTATO E, 



ITS USES AND PROPERTIES. 



CHAPTER I. 



ON THE POTATOE PLANT. 



Parts of Potatoe plant (1) ; set (2) ; stalk (3). Under -ground 

 stem and tuber (5-7) ; roots (8) ; haulm (9) ; flowers and fruit 

 (10). Essential parts of plants (11, 12). Ultimate parts of pota- 

 toes (13-16). Origin of starch (17). Origin of nitrogen (18). 

 Motion of sap (19, 20). Experiments on Endosmosis (21). 

 Quantity of water imbibed by roots (22). Resume (23). 



(1.) THE perfect potatoe plant (plate 11., fig. 1) consists 

 of a set, or original potatoe, under-ground stem, tubers, 

 roots, above-ground stem, leaves, flowers, and fruit. 



(2.) The set, or original potatoe plant, from whence the 

 rest of the plant proceeds, is derived from a former plant, 

 this from one antecedent, and in this manner we might 

 trace it up to the first potatoe which existed on the earth's 

 surface. There is no occasion to suppose that a potatoe 

 plant has had in all cases such an extensive existence, for 

 we may trace the set to a former plant, and that former 

 plant may have been derived from the potatoe-seed, which 

 I shall hereafter more fully describe. 



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