POTATOK. 81 



shore by a vessel wrecked on the coast called 

 North Meols, in Lancashire ; a place and 

 soil even now famous for producing this ve- 

 getable in great perfection. 



Sir Walter Raleigh is said to have given 

 some potatoes to his gardener in Ireland as 

 a fine fruit from America, and ordered them 

 to be planted in his kitchen-garden. In Au- 

 gust the plants flowered, and in September 

 produced the fruit ; but the berries were so 

 different to what the gardener expected, that 

 in an ill humour he carried the potatoe-ap- 

 ples to his master. " Is this (said he) the fine 

 fruit from America you praised so highly ?" 

 Sir Walter either was, or pretended to be 

 ignorant of the matter ; and desired the gar- 

 dener, since that was the case, to dig up the 

 weed and throw it away. The gardener, 

 however, soon returned with a good parcel of 

 potatoes.* 



Gerard describes two kinds of potatoes in 

 his Herbal, and, as the account is highly 

 interesting, I shall copy it verbatim. " This 

 plant," says he, " which is called Sisarum 

 Peruviamim, or Skyrrists of Peru, is generally 

 of vs called Potatus or Potatoes. There is 



# Appendix to the Report of the Committee of the Board 

 of Agriculture, on the Culture of the Potatoe. 

 vol. II. v. 



