HISTORY OF THE POTATO. 79 
The potato made its way to Scotland in 1728, where it met with considerable 
opposition on religious grounds, because *'the potato is not mentioned in the 
Bible." But a severe season in 1742, proved the value of this tuber for food, 
and so stimulated its culture that it soon became a common and reliable article 
of diet. 
It was introduced into Germany in 1710. The government took quite an 
interest in its introduction, and in some parts of the country used compulsion to 
promote its cultivation. France received the potato about the same time that it 
was taken to Germany, but it seems to have met with quite strong oppositionj 
having been pronounced poisonous by the National College of Physicians. One 
Parmentier, was instrumental in making it popular in that country. He first saw 
it as he returned from the siege of Mayence. He studied its cultivation in Ger- 
many, and on returning to France he entered upon the task of educating his 
countrymen in a knowledge of the value of this esculent. He exerted himself by 
every means in his power to attract the attention of the public to the merits of 
the potato as an article of food. It is true he overestimated its value, believing 
that it was equal to wheat. But he had not taken account of the value of gluten 
in wheat that had been discovered in 1727 by Bececaria. In order to overcome 
the prejudices of the people he wrote and spoke in its favor, recommending it to 
the poor as a cheap food product. He planted a field of potatoes, and, in order 
to impress the peasantry with its importance, he had it guarded by gendarmes, 
giving out that it was a very valuable food product. In a short time the guards 
were ordered to relax their vigilance. Some potatoes were stolen by the peasants, 
others followed, and finally the whole crop was disseminated among the people of 
the adjacent villages, and its excellence proved to be so great as to remove all 
the prejudice in regard to the tuber as an article of diet. Parmentier also secured 
the attention of the nobility to the value of the potato. On one occasion he 
appeared in the presence of Louis XIV. with a nosegay of the flower of the 
potato. The king inquired in regard to the plant, and was easily persuaded to 
introduce its cultivation into the royal gardens. The example of the sovereign 
was imitated by the courtiers, its popularity was thus secured. 
Notwithstanding the efforts of those who appreciated it, the potato grew in 
favor very slowly, and did not become generally popular with all classes till the 
beginning of the present century. But when its merits were fuliy understood it 
soon became one of the most important food crops in cultivation. Such was the 
dependence of some of the people of Europe on the crop that when the rot 
appeared and destroyed the crop, it left the people in a destitute condition. 
The destruction of the old varieties by this malady led to experiments in the 
production of new varieties to take the place of those that had seemingly lost their 
vigor. Mr. Goodrich took the lead in the production of varieties from the seed 
of the wild varieties. Though his success was not eminent he laid the foundation 
for improvements that have resulted in the production of hundreds of new varie- 
ties, many of them of very superior excellence. — Gardener's Monthly. 
