POTATO. 181 



and color of skin, from white to almost black, including 

 yellow, red and blue. There are hundreds of named varieties, 

 but many of them are scarcely distinguishable from other 

 named kinds. 



Origin of the Modem Potato. Fifty years ago potato rot ran 

 over western Europe and the United States to such an extent 

 as to bring starvation in regions where potatoes were the prin- 

 cipal article of diet; no one knows where the potato came from 

 that was cultivated previously to that time. Rev. Chauncey 

 Goodrich, of Utica, N. Y., urged before agricultural societies 

 and the agricultural committees of the New York legislature 

 that potato rot resulted from lowered vitality of the potato plant, 

 due to its being grown under high cultivation and in climates 

 and soils not wholly congenial to a sub-tropical plant, native 

 to a small section only of the earth's surface; and he claimed 

 that the way to restore its vigor would be to get varieties 

 from the part of South America that was the home of the 

 potato. His theories were laughed at by scientific men, and 

 the legislative committee told him he knew more about theology 

 than about plant diseases. Being thus repulsed, he attempted 

 on his own account what he felt should be undertaken by the 

 state. Mr. Goodrich commenced his experiments about 1848 

 and at various times for many years imported potatoes from 

 South America, and from these and their progeny he raised 

 many seedlings. Among eight kinds received at one import- 

 ation (probably, from Chili) was a variety that he called the 

 Rough Purple Chili. It ripened late in the season and was 

 generally hollow, but it had flesh of fine texture and was free 

 from rot. From seed saved from this, he raised the Garnet 

 Chili, which was a popular variety for many years in New 

 York state. The Garnet Chili was parent of the Early Rose 

 and of Brazee's Prolific and other Brazee seedlings and, in- 

 deed, of nearly all of the desirable varieties of Europe and 

 America which have been prized for half a century. Although 

 from some of his other importations he also raised a few very 

 good sorts, yet the progeny of the Rough Purple Chili gave 

 him the most valuable kinds. Among Goodrich's other 

 seedlings were Gleason, Calico, Harrison and Early Good- 

 rich. The latter was the parent of the Chicago Market. 



Mr. Goodrich is said to have raised about sixteen thousand 



