240 THE VEGETABLE CULTIVATOR. 



and which formed a part of their food. There is 

 no doubt but from that country, while it was in the 

 possession of the Spaniards, the potato was early 

 introduced into Europe, and particularly into Italy, 

 where it was cultivated for some years before Eng- 

 land was " blessed" with this f< invaluable root." 



The potato now in use was brought to Britain 

 by the colonists sent out by Sir Walter Rajeigh, 

 under the authority of his patent granted by Queen 

 Elizabeth, in the year 1584*. Some of Sir Walter's 

 ships sailed the same year, and returned in July, 

 1586; but it seems uncertain whether he brought 

 the potato root to England himself, or afterwards 

 had it sent to him by Sir Thomas Grenville, or Mr. 

 Lane, the first governor of Virginia. The potato 

 was first introduced into Ireland by Sir Walter 

 Raleigh, who had an estate in that country, where 

 it was certainly used for food some time before its 

 introduction into England ; and it is alleged that 

 its virtues were communicated to England from 

 some of the roots having been accidentally thrown 

 on our shore from a vessel that was wrecked on the 

 coast called North Meoll, in Lancashire a place 

 even now famous for producing this vegetable in 

 great perfection. 



The potato appears to have been a great deli- 

 cacy in the time of James I., but it was not until 

 the year 1663 that it first became an object of 

 national importance, when a recommendation was 

 issued from the Royal Society to plant it in all 

 parts of the kingdom, to prevent famine. Not- 

 withstanding all this, it was a long time before 

 potatoes were brought into general use ; and even 



