36 HISTORY OF THE POTATO. 



with a sauce composed of wine and sugar ! Even 

 Philip Miller, who wrote his account not quite 

 seventy years ago, says " they were despised by the 

 rich, and deemed only proper food for the meaner 

 sorts of persons ;" and this at a time when that sorry 

 root, the underground or Jerusalem artichoke 

 (helianthus tuberosus) was in great esteem, and 

 extensively cultivated. And we must bear in mind 

 the disinclination, the prejudice I might almost call 

 it, that this root manifests to particular soils. Most 

 of our esculent vegetables thrive better are better 

 flavoured, when growing in certain soils, and under 

 different influences; but the potato becomes actually 

 deteriorated in some land. And every cultivator 

 knows from experience, that the much-admired 

 product of some friend's domain, or garden, be- 

 comes, when introduced into his own, a very in- 

 ferior, or even an unpalatable root. Potatoes will 

 grow in certain parishes and districts, and even 

 remain unvitiated ; but the product will be scanty, 

 as if they tolerated the culture only, and produced 

 by favour ; whereas in an adjoining station, possess- 

 ing some different admixture of soil, some change 

 of aspect, the crop will be highly remunerative. 

 These circumstances in earlier days, when their 

 value, and the necessity of possessing them, were 

 not felt, counteracted any attempt for extensive 

 cultivation, or, probably, influenced the dislike to 

 their use. 



