On the Cultivated Potato. 
269 
Potato.* — Solanum tuberosum, LijiSiEUS. — la 1855 I showed and dis- 
cussed what was then known about the origin of the potato and its intro- 
duction into Europe. I shall now add what has been discovered during the 
last quarter of a century. It will be seen that the data acquired formerly 
liave become more certain, and tiiat several accessory questions which were 
rather doubtful have remained such, but with stronger probabilities in favour 
of what, to me, seemed formerly probable. 
It has been proved that at the time of the discovery of America the 
cultivation of the potato was carried on, with every appearance of an old 
custom, in the temperate regions extending from Chili to New Granada, at an 
elevation varying according to the degrees of latitude. This can be gathered 
from the evidence of all the early travellers, among which I shall mention 
Acosta, for Peru, and Pierre Cieca, quoted by de I'Ecluse, lor Quito. 
In the temjierate regions of the eastern part of South America, for instance, 
on the heights of Guiana and Brazil, the potato was not known to the natives, 
or, if they knew a similar plant, it was the Solanum Commersonii, which also 
has tubercles and is found wild at Montevideo and in the south of Brazil. 
The real potato is now, indeed, grown in the latter country, but it is so new 
that it has been called Batate des Anglais. According to Humboldt, it was 
unknown in Mexico, a circumstance which has been confirmed by the silence 
of subsequent authors, though contradicted to some extent by another 
historical fact. 
They saj', indeed, that Walter Ealeigh, or rather Thomas Herriott, who 
accompanied him in several voyages, had brought, in 1585 or 1586, some 
potato tubercles to Ireland from Virginia. Its name in that country was 
Openaivk. From Herriott's description of the plant, quoted by Sir Joseph 
Banks, there can be no doubt that it was the jjotato and not the Baiate,^ for 
which, at that time, it was sometimes taken. Besides, Gerard tells us that 
he had received from Virginia the potato which he grew in his garden in 
1597, and of which he gives a drawing exactly like the Solanum tuberosum. 
He was so proud of it, that in the beginning of his work there is a plate 
representing him with a flowering branch of this plant in his hand. 
How was it that this species was found in Virginia or Carolina at the time 
of Raleigh, in 1585, whilst the old Mexicans did not know it, and the culti- 
vatioif of it had not spread among the natives north of Mexico ? Dr. Eoulin, 
who has carefully studied the works about North America, assured me once 
that he had found no trace whatever of the potato in the United States before 
the arrival of the Europeans. Dr. Asa Gray told me the same thing, adding 
that Mr. Harris, a man who was very well acquainted with the language and 
customs of the North-American tribes, was of the same opinion. 1 have read 
nothing to the contrary in recent publications ; and it must not be forgotten 
that a plant so easy to cultivate must have spread, even among nomadic 
tribes, had they possessed it. It seems to me probable that some inhabi- 
tants of Virginia — perhaps English colonists — may have received tubers 
through Spanish or other travellers who were trafficking or seeking adventures 
during the ninety years which had elapsed since the discovery of America. 
From the time of the conquest of Peru and Chili in 1535 till 1585, many 
vessels may have carried potato-tubers as provisions, and Walter Raleigh, 
who was carrying on a filibustering war with the Spaniards, may have 
plundered a vessel containing some. This is all the more probable, as the 
Spaniards had introduced the plant into Europe in 1585. 
* Translation Art. " Pomme de Terre ; Origine des Plantes Cultive'es." Par 
Alph. de CandoUe. Paris, Bailliere et Cie. 1803. 'Bib. Scientifique Inter- 
nationale,' XLUI. 
t Or Sweet potato, ConvolvuJus Batatas. 
