An Outline for a Study of the Potato 



William Gould Vinal 



The Rhode Island Norma] School 



(The so-called Irish potato, Solatium tuberosum, and not the Sweet Potato 

 which belongs to the Morning-glory family.) 



I. Historical Facts 



For account of origin of the potato, read De Candolle's "Origin 

 of Cultivated Plants," pp. 45-53. 



Probably native of Chile, South America. Cultivated by 

 Indians at time of discovery of America. A similar vegetable is 

 eaten by natives of South Africa. Belongs to nightshade family, 

 therefore once thought to be poisonous. First introduced into 

 Europe 1 580-1 585 by Spaniards. Sir Walter Raleigh introduced 

 "Virginian potatoes" into County Cork, Ireland, about 1584. 

 "Potatoes are of less note than horse-radish, — beets." — Bradley,. 

 1 7 19. "Plant your potatoes in your worst ground." — John 

 Evelyn. Parmentier (1737-1813) a noted chemist, popularized 

 it in France. Potato soup is known as "potage Parmentier" 

 in his honor. Probably introduced into the United States toward 

 end. of 1 6th century (Virginia and North Carolina) 



Frederick the Great succeeded in introducing it into Prussia. 



Louis XVI and Qu een Elizabeth wore potato blossoms to help 

 popularize it. Grown in European flower gardens in 1 7th century. 

 Called Irish potato because used so generally in Ireland. Potato 

 blight caused famine in Ireland in 1846. 



II. Nature Lesson 

 A. Subject Matter far Teacher. An ordinary stem, as a geranium, 

 has buds and leaves. A potato is also a stem. The projections 

 in each "eye" are buds and near the center of the "eye-brow" 

 may be found a tiny scale which is an undeveloped leaf. This 

 rudimentary leaf is seen best in new potatoes. One could imagine 

 a branch of a geranium converted into a potato by reducing the 

 leaves and storing a great deal of starch in the stem. If this 

 modified geranium was then placed underground it would give 

 up its green color due to the absence of sunlight. The stem of 

 the potato is large on account of its vast amount of stored food 

 and the leaves have degenerated because the stem is underground. 



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