88 CULTIVATED VEGETABLES. 



prudent families to adopt the use of potatoes 

 at their dinner-tables, in lieu of bread or 

 puddings : the making of starch from wheat 

 was also prohibited at the same time, as well 

 as that of hair-powder, which brought pota- 

 toes into such general esteem, that the culti- 

 vation of them has continued to increase 

 amazingly from that period. 



Bradley, in his book entitled New Im- 

 provements of Planting and Gardening, (pub- 

 lished in 17 18,) says, after having described 

 parsnips, carrots, onions, &c. " Potatoes and 

 Jerusalem artichokes are roots of less note 

 than any I have yet mentioned ; but as they 

 are not without their admirers, so I shall not 

 pass by the method of their culture in silence. 

 The potatoe rather loves a sandy than a 

 strong soil : I have seen them do well in both; 

 but have observed that the roots knot much 

 better, and are sweeter in the sand." 



This shews us, that, though the culture of 

 the potatoe was perfectly understood in the 

 beginning of the last century, the root, ne- 

 vertheless, was not appreciated according 

 to its merits. 



Notwithstanding the indefatigable industry 

 of Linnaeus to introduce the culture of pota- 

 toes in Sweden, they were but little regarded 



