THE POTATO 



FIG. 2 COPY OK ENGRAVING OK THK VIRGINIAN POTATO IN 



GERARD'S " HERBAL," PRINTED IN 1636 



(Compare with photograph, Figs. 5, 6.) In England the name Virginian 

 potato was used to designate its source. 



The potato was probably introduced into that part 

 of the United States now known as Virginia and 

 North Carolina between the middle and close of the 

 sixteenth century. It is claimed that in 1586 colonists 

 returning from Virginia probably took the potato with 



