JOURNAL 



OF 



NATURAL PHILOSOPHY, CHEMISTRY, 



AND 



THE ARTS. 



MAY, 1808. 



ARTICLE L 



Aji Attempt to ascertain the Time when the Potato (Solanum 

 tuberosum) tvas Jirst introdvced into the United Kingdom ; - 

 with some Account of the Hill Wheat of India, Bi/ the 

 Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks, Barf. K. B. P.R.S. 



Sfc* 



JL HE notes on the introduction of the potato, which it is Notes collected 

 hoped will not be found uninteresting, were chiefly collected j^ryander. 

 by my worthy and learned friend Mr. Dryander, some of 

 them from authorities not easily accessible. Those on the 

 wheat, though not within tlie immediate object of this So- 

 ciety, will, I hope, be considered as sufficiently interesting 

 to be laid before them : could we trace the origin of any one 

 of our cultivated plants, it may, and probably will, lead to 

 the discovery of others. 



The potato now in use (solanum tuberosum) was brought Potato intro- 

 to England by the colonists sent out by Sir Walter Raleigh, gn'^^^Jj*", . 

 under the authority of his patent, granted by Queen Eliza- 1586, by Sir 

 beth, " for discovering and planting new countries, not pos- ^' ^.^|^'£" * 

 sessed by christians," which passed the great seal in 1584. 



* From the Trans, of the Horticultural Society, Vol. I, Part I, p. 8. 



Vol. XX. No. 86.— May, 1808. B" Some 



