272 



• HISTORY OF THE VjMJETABLE KINGDOM. 



Mr Lambert, in the tenth volume of Brando's 

 Journal, and in the appendix to his splendid 

 work on the genus Pinus, has collected many 

 valuable facts which prove that the potato is 

 found wild in several parts of America, and 

 among ■ others in Chili and Peru. Don Jose 

 Pavon, in a letter to Mr Lambert, says, "The 

 Solanum tuberosum grows wild in the environs 

 of Lima, and fourteen leagues from Lima on tlie 

 coast; and I myself have found it in the kingdom 

 of Chili;" and Mr Lambert adds, "I have lately 

 received from Mr Pavon very fine wild specimens 

 of solanum tuberosum, collected by himself in 

 Peru." There is also a note from Mr Lambert 

 on the same subject, in the third volume of the 

 New Edinburgh Philosophical Journal, with an 

 extract from a letter of Mr Caldcleugh, who 

 sent tubers of the wild plant some years ago, 

 from Chili to the Horticultural Society. But it 

 is frequently objected, that in some of those 

 countries where the potato is found wild, it may, 

 like many other species met with in that state 

 in America, be an introduced, not an indigenous 

 plant. There are, however, many reasons for 

 believing that it is really indigenous in Chili, 

 and that wild specimens found there have not 

 been accidentnlly propagated from any cultivated 

 variety. In that country it is generally found 

 in steep, rocky places, where it could never have 

 been cultivated, and where its accidental intro- 

 duction is almost impossible. It is very com- 

 mon about Valparaiso, and I have noticed it 

 along the coast for fifteen leagues to the north- 

 ward of that port; how much farther it may ex- 

 tend north or south, I know not. It chiefly in- 

 habits the cliffs and hills near the sea, and I do 

 not recollect to have seen it at more than two or 

 three leagues from the coast. But there is one 

 peculiarity in the wild plant that I have never 

 seen noticed in print, that its flowers are always 

 pure white, free from the purple tint so common 

 in tlie cultivated varieties, and this, I think, is 

 a strong evidence of its native origin. Another 

 proof may be drawn from the fact, that while it 

 is often met with in mountainous places, remote 

 from cultivated ground, it is not seen in the im- 

 mediate neighbourhood of the fields and gardens 

 where it is planted, unless a stream of water run 

 through the ground, which may carry tubers to 

 uncultivated spots. Having observed the dis- 

 tribution of this and other plants through the 

 agency of the streams employed for inigating 

 the land, I am led to think, that the wild speci- 

 mens found near Lima may have had similar 

 origin. If they occurred in the valley, this is 

 more than probable, as almost the whole of the 

 land is either cultivated by irrigation, or the 

 uncultivated spots are overflowed when the river 

 is swelled by the rains in the interior. Upon 

 the whole, it may be safely concluded that this 

 important vegetable is really indigenous to Chili; 



but with respect to Peru, some further evidence 

 appears necessary to remove all doubt on the 

 subject. The question can only be decided by 

 ascertaining tlie exact situations in which the 

 plants present themselves at Lima and Chancay, 

 especially with resjiect to land that is or has been 

 cultivated. It would be interesting, too, to 

 know the colour of the flowers. 



There is strong evidence for believing that 

 this plant was first introduced into England by 

 the colonists adventuring to North America under 

 the auspices of Sir Walter Raleigh, who had ob- 

 tained a patent in 1584, from Queen Elizabeth, 

 "for discovering and planting new countries not 

 possessed by Christians." Thomas Heriot, after- 

 wards known as a mathematician, was among 

 these voluntary exiles; who, however, all re- 

 turned within two years after they had first 

 gone forth for the purpose of founding a colony. 

 These voyagers most probably brought home the 

 potato, since in Heriot's report of the country, 

 which is printed in De Bry's collection of Voy- 

 ages, he describes (vol. i. p. 17,) under the article 

 Root, a plant called openawk, which, there is 

 little doubt, is identical with the potato. " The.' 

 roots of this plant," says he, "are round, some as 

 large as a walnut, others much larger; they grow 

 in damp soils, many hanging together as if fixed 

 on ropes. They are good food either boiled or 

 roasted." The introduction of this plant into 

 Ireland by Sir Walter Raleigh, on his return 

 from Virginia, is indeed well authenticated by 

 corroborative testimony. In the manuscript 

 minutes of the Royal Society, we find that Sir R. 

 Southwell distinctly stated to the fellows, that 

 his grandfather was the first who cultivated the- 

 potato in Ireland, and that for this valuable root 

 he was indebted to Sir Walter Raleigh.* Among 

 the anecdotes told of this enterprising voj'ager, 

 it is said that when his gardener at Youghall, in 

 the county of Cork, had reared to the full ma- 

 turity of "apples" the potatoes which he had re- 

 ceived from the knight, as a fine fruit from 

 America, the man brought to his master one of 

 the apples, and asked if that were the fine fruit. 

 Sir Walter having examined it, was, or feigned 

 to be, so dissatisfied, that he ordered the " weed " 

 to be rooted out. The gardener obeyed, and in 

 rooting out the weeds found a bushel of pota- 

 toes. 



In contradiction to the above account, Dr 

 Campbell, in his Political Survey, states that 

 this plant was not introduced into Irfiland until 

 the year ICIO; while some writers affirm that 

 the people of that country were in possession of 

 the potato at a period prior to the one just as- 

 signed. One supposition is, that this root was 

 brought from Santa Fe into Ireland in the year 

 1565; and another, that it is of so very ancient 



* /.lihrary of Usofiil Ktiowledgo. 



