Rhode Island American, Statesman And Providence Gazette

THE POTATO.—Sir Walter Raleigh, as is well known, first introduced the use of Tobacco into England. It is probably less known that we are much more indebted to him for reducing the potato from a wild state to a garden vegetable. This improvement is said to have taken place in the gardens belonging to Youghall, a town of Ireland, in the county of Cork. The probability that such was the fact is increased by the circumstance that these gardens were a part of the estate sold by Sir Walter to the Earl of Cork. It seems, however, that the person directed by Sir Walter to cultivate the potato, was wholly ignorant of its use; for upon its growing to its height and producing the potato apple, he took this for the fruit, which he attempted to eat, but finding it unpalatable, considered his pains as lost and utterly neglected the plant. After a long time, the earth of the garden being turned up, the roots, that is the potato itself, were found spread to a great distance, and increased to a large quantity, and from this place the whole kingdom was gradually furnished with an esculent, which now forms a principal part of its subsistence.

The potato, however, is indigenous to North America. It was first brought from thence, according to chronological accounts, by Sir Francis Drake, in his second voyage of discovery, 1585 three years after the introduction of Tobacco from Virginia, 1583. The potato was introduced into Ireland in 1610, and into England in 1650. Gerard, however, who flourished about 1595, speaks of the potato with the smack of a connoisseur. He says it is "a food, as also a meat for pleasure, being either roasted in the embers or boiled and eaten with oil, vinegar and pepper, or dressed some other way by the hand of a skilful Cooke."

Other accounts say that the Potato was first introduced into Ireland in 1565, from North-America, where they were not reckoned edible. From Ireland they were carried to England by a vessel, wrecked on the coast, off Lancashire, a place still famous for producing this vegetable. It was not, however, much cultivated about London, until 40 years afterwards, and then was considered a rarity. At that time they were distinguished from the Spanish Potato, by the name of Virginia Potato. In 1662 the attention of the Royal Society was called to this vegetable by a Mr. Bucklin, who recommended its culture all over the kingdom to prevent a famine. From that time it became common.

The potato, however, was not introduced into Sweden, until 1764, when a royal edict was published to encourage its cultivation. There are many other interesting facts connected with this vegetable, which might be found amusing and useful.