THE POTATO TEECBNTENAEY. 



173 



those tbat shall heercafter have further knowledge of the same : * yet 

 have I had in my garden divers roots that have florished unto the firs 

 approoh of winter, and have growen unto a great length of branches, but 

 they brought not f oorth any flowers at all ; whether bicause the winter 

 caused them to perish before their time of flowring, or that they be of 

 nature barren of flowers, I am not certaine. The rootes are many, 

 thioke, and knobbie, like unto the rootes of Peionies, or rather of the 

 white Asphodill, joined togither at the top into one head, in manner of 

 the Skyrrit, which being divided into divers parts and planted, do make 

 a great increase, especially if the greatest rootes be out into divers 

 gobbets, and planted in good and fertill ground. 



" The I'otatoos grow in India, Barbaric, Spaiue, and other hotte 

 regions, of which I planted divers rootes (that I bought at the exchange 

 in London) in my garden, where they flourished until winter, at which 

 time they perished and rotted." 



Gerard's chapter on tlio potato then newly introduced is 

 entitled, " Of Potatoes of Virginia," and the heading over 

 the woodcut is — 



" Battata Virginiana sive Virginianorum, ^ Pappus. 

 " Potatoes of Virginia." 



Of this plant ho writes : — 



" Virginia Potatoes hath many hoUowo flexible branches, trailing 

 uppon the grounde, three square, uneven, knotted or kneed in sundry 

 places at certaine distances ; from the which knots commeth foorth one 

 great leafe made of divers leaves, some smaller, & others greater, set 

 togither upon a fat middle rib by couples ; of a swart greeno colour 

 tending to redncs. The whole leafe resembling those of the Parsncp, in 

 taste at the first like grasse, but afterward sharp and nipping the 

 toong : from the bosome of whioli leaves come foorth long rounde 

 slender footstalks, whereon do grow very fairo & pleasant flowers, 

 made of one entire whole leafe, which is folded or plaited in such strange 

 sort, that it seometh to be a flower made of sixe sundrie small loaves, 



• In Johnson's edition o£ Gerard (T(U!:!) this passage is given as 

 follows :— " There is not any that have written of this plant have said 

 anything of the floures : therefore I refer tlieir description unto those 

 that shall hereafter have further knowledge of the same." This seems 

 to make better sense. 



