SCCt. 17. THE COUNTY OF FIFE. l8l 



POTATOES. 



THE Potatoe is generally supposed to be an 

 American root, and said to have been brought 

 into Ireland about 230 years ago. From thence 

 it found its way into Britain. But its import- 

 ance, as an article of food, not being known or 

 attended to, it "was at first regarded as a matter 

 of curiosity, and cultivated to a very limited ex- 

 tent. In this country, about 60 years ago, it 

 was to be seen chiefly in gardens ; few were 

 planted in the fields. It is only within the last 

 20 or 30 years that its value has been understood, 

 and the cultivation of it has become general. 

 The culture of this root is now found to be a 

 very useful and profitable improvement in hus- 

 bandry. By growing under the surface, and 

 thereby breaking and loosening the earth, by the 

 manure and dressing necessary to render them 

 sufficiently productive, and by the stirring which 

 the land receives, when they are taken up, they 

 contribute greatly to ameliorate the soil, and 

 form an excellent preparation for other kinds of 

 crops, such as wheat, barley, oats, and flax. 



And as it is profitable as a cleansing and ame- 

 liorating crop, it is found to be a wholesome, 

 nourishing, and palatable food for both man and 

 beast. The abundance of the pr6duce is like- 

 wise a powerful recommendation of this plant. 

 An acre of land in potatoes will yield a much 

 greater quantity of food for the human species, 

 than when applied to the production of any o- 

 ther crop. In short, since this root came into 

 Such general repute, the nation has never been 



