HISTORY OF THE POTATO. 7T 
The mountain of Chancay is mentioned by Jenin and Pavon as a locality 
where the potato is to be found in a wild state. 
From the foregoing it appears the native habitat of the potato is found in the 
valleys of the Andes Mountains and the table lands bordering on the Pacific^ 
several species extending as far north as New Mexico. But the potato was found 
by the European explorers not only growing wild, but it was also found in cultiva- 
tion in a highly improved state. It has been in cultivation by the old Aztec race 
from time immemorial. At Cuzco in Peru, Quito in Equador, and perhaps as 
far north as Mexico, it had formed an important article of diet to the aboriginal 
inhabitants of America long before the discovery of that country by Europeans, 
The varieties in cultivation were far superior to the wild varieties, these last being, 
quite bitter and unpalatable, while the cultivated varieties possessed considerable- 
excellence. 
At just what period the potato was first carried to Europe we are not informed. 
Spanish adventurers doubtless carried it to that country at quite an early day. 
Certain it is that it was cultivated in Spain as early as 1550. From there it soon 
made its way to Italy, Burgundy and the Netherlands. It was, however, early 
introduced into Italy, directly from South America. The early Spanish and 
Portuguese adventurers being zealous papists, it is probable this new esculent was 
very early sent to Rome as a present to the Pope. 
There seems to be a conflict of opinion in regard to the introduction of the 
potato into Ireland. One account credits its introduction into that country to a 
Capt. Hawkins, a slave-trader, who, it is said, carried it from Spain in 1565. 
But Sir Robt. Southwell stated before the Fellows of the Royal Society that his 
grandfather had introduced it directly from Raleigh. Again, the Irish have a 
tradition that it was brought to their country from France by a CathoHc priest. 
The potato was introduced into England by Sir Francis Drake on his return from 
a voyage to the Pacific Ocean in 1565. On his way home he touched at the 
Virginia coast, and carried away the discouraged colonists from that place. 
Whether he obtained it on the west coast of America or from the colonists in 
Virginia we are left to conjecture. 
Sir Walter Raleigh is credited with introducing the potato into England 
from Virginia in 1586. Some authorities, however, place it as late as the year 
1623. A somewhat careful examination has raised quite strong doubts in my 
mind whether this is correct. Raleigh, it appears, did not visit Virginia himself 
at all, but merely furnished ships and provisions, and sent others out. The 
return of Sir Francis Drake with the colonists from Virginia, seems to have been 
the only chance for the introduction of the potato about that time. In 1589, 
Raleigh disposed of his interest in the new world, and from that time we have no 
evidence that he gave any attention to colonial matters. To my mind the more 
plausible theory is that he received some of the tubers that Drake had brought 
from his southwestern voyage, and having cultivated them one year, introduced 
them to the public as a product of the new country in which he was at that 
time greatly interested. Again, there does not appear any evidence that the 
