The common potato was unknown to the inhabitants of the eastern continent till after the discovery of America by Columbus. The potato known to the ancients, and that is spoken of by Shakspeare and other English writers, was not the common potato, but it was the sweet potato, Convolvulus Batata. The early history of the potato is involved in considerable obscurity, as the references to it by the historians of those times are quite meager and somewhat contradictory. A careful collation and sifting of the various references to this subject seem to justify the following statements : The first reference we find to the potato in connection with European history is related to the first voyage of Columbus. When on the island of Cuba some of his men visited the interior of that island and there discovered maize and a root that was used for food, and that was doubtless the po-tato. On visiting the continent of South America, European adventurers and travelers found the potato growing both in the forests and in cultivation. The wild potato was found growing in the Andean forests from New Grenada on the north to BuenosAyres on the south.

And it is now known to be abundant as far north as New Mexico, in the United States, where it is a common and important article of diet with the Indians of that region. Humboldt does not seem to have been successful in finding the potato growing indigenously in some portions of the country where others assert that it was found. He says that " the potato is not indigenous to Peru, and that it is nowhere to be found wild in the Cordilleras situated under the tropics. M. Bompland and myself herborized in the back and in the declivity of the Andes, from the 50 north to the 120 south, and informed ourselves from persons who have examined this chain of colossal mountains as far as the Le Pau and Oruro, and we ascertained that in this vast extent of ground no species of solanum with nutritive roots vegetates spontaneously. It is true there are places not very accessible, and very cold, which the natives call Parana de las Papas.'" But it seems that though these distinguished naturalists did not succeed in finding the wild potato growing in these regions, others were more fortunate. Meyer states that " if the potato had migrated from Chili to Peru it would probably have retained its Chilian name; but this conjecture is no longer necessary, for it grows wild in both countries.

I myself have found it in two different places in the Cordilleras of these countries."

Hooker* states that Don Jose Pavon, in a letter to M. Lamhert, says that Solanum tuberosum grows wild in the environs of Lima and fourteen miles from Lima, on the coast, and I myself have found it in the kingdom of Chili. And M. Lamhert adds, " I have lately received from M. Pavon very fine wild specimens of Solanum tuberosum collected by himself in Peru. In Chili it is generally found in steep, rocky places, where it could never have been cultivated, and where its introduction must have been almost impossible. It is very common about Valparaiso, and Cruikshank has noticed it along the coast for fifteen leagues to the northward of that port; how much further it may extend north or south, he knows not." Mr. Caldcleugh, of Rio Janeiro, in sending some tubers of the wild potato to the secretary of the London Horticultural Society, writes as follows : " It is with no small degree of pleasure that I am enabled to send you some specimens of Solanum tuberosum, or native wild potato of South America. It is found growing in considerable quantities in ravines in the immediate neighborhood of Valparaiso, on the western side of South America, in latitude 34 1/2° south. The leaves and flowers of the plant are similar in every respect to those cultivated in England and elsewhere.

It begins to flower in October, and is not very prolific. The roots are small, and of a bitterish taste, some with red and others with yellowish skins. I am inclined to think that this plant grows on a large extent of the coast, for in the south of Chili it is found, and is called by the natives maglia, but I cannot discover that it is employed for any purpose."

The mountain of Chancay is mentioned by Jenin and Pavon as a locality where the potato is to be found in a wild state.

From the foregoing it appears the native habitat of the potato is found in the valleys of the Andes mountains and the table lands bordering on the Pacific, several species extending as far north as New Mexico. But the potato was found by the European explorers not only growing wild, but it was also found in cultivation in a highly improved state. It has been in cultivation by the old Aztec race from time immemorial. At Cuzco in Peru, Quito in Equador, and perhaps as far north as Mexico, it had formed an important article of diet to the aboriginal inhabitants of America long before the discovery of that country by Europeans. The varieties in cultivation were far superior to the wild varieties, these last being quite bitter and unpalatable, while the cultivated varieties possessed considerable excellence.

*Botanical Miscellany.

At just what period the potato was first carried to Europe we are not informed. Spanish adventurers doubtless carried it to that country at quite an early day. Certain it is that it was cultivated in Spain as early as 1550. From there it soon made its way to Italy, Burgundy and the Netherlands. It was, however, early introduced into Italy, directly from South America. The early Spanish and Portuguese adventurers being zealous papists it is probable this new esculent was very early sent to Rome as a present to the Pope.

There seems to be a conflict of opinion in regard to the introduction of the potato into Ireland. One account credits its introduction into that country to a Capt. Hawkins, a slave trader, who, it is said, carried it from Spain in 1565. But Sir Robt. Southwell stated before the Fellows of the Royal Society that his grandfather had introduced it directly from Raleigh. Again, the Irish have a tradition that it was brought to their country from France by a Catholic priest. The potato was introduced into England by Sir Francis Drake on his return from a voyage to the Pacific Ocean in 1565. On his way home he touched at the Virginia coast, and carried away the discouraged colonists from that place. Whether he obtained it on the west coast of America or from the colonists in Virginia we are left to conjecture.

Sir Walter Raleigh is credited with introducing the potato into England from Virginia in 1586. Some authorities however place it as late as the year 1623. A somewhat careful examination has raised quite strong doubts in my mind whether this is correct. Raleigh, it appears, did not visit Virginia himself at all, but merely furnished ships and provisions, and sent others out. The return of Sir Francis Drake with the colonists from Virginia, seems to have been the only chance for the introduction of the potato about that time. In 1589, Raleigh disposed of his interest in the new world, and from that time we have no evidence that he gave any attention to colonial matters. To my mind the more plausible theory is that he received some of the tubers that Drake had brought from his southwestern voyage, and having cultivated them one year, introduced them to the public as a product of the new country in which he was at that time greatly interested. Again there does hot appear any evidence that the potato was to be found in Virginia at that time.

It is not indigenous to that country, and if found there at all it must have been procured from Europe, which is contrary to both history and the requirements of the case.

Peter Cieca, in his "Chronicle," printed in 1553, says that the inhabitants of Quito had, besides mays, a tuberous root which they called papas. and which was an article of diet with them. Clusius, a botanist of Vienna, supposed this to be the potato, specimens of which he had received both from South America and from Flanders. Thomas Henriot, a mathematician, describes the potato of Raleigh as follows: "These roots are round, some as large as a walnut, others much larger; they grow in damp soil, many hanging together, as if fixed on ropes; they are good for food either boiled or roasted." The first figure of the potato was given by Gerarde, in his "Herbal" in 1597. He calls it the Batata Virginiana. He states that "the root is thick, fat, tuberous, not much differing in shape, color and taste from the common potato, save that the roots hereof are not so great nor long; some of them are as a ball, some oval or egg-fashioned, some larger, some shorter, the which knobby roots are fastened into the stalks with an infinite number of thready strings.

It groweth naturally in America, where it was first discovered, as report says, by Columbus, since which time I have received roots hereof from Virginia, otherwise called Nurenbega, which grow and prosper in my garden as in their own country The Indians do call this plant 'pappas,' meaning 'the roots,' by which name also the common potatoes are called in those Indian countries. We have the name proper to it mentioned in the title, because it hath not only the shape and proportion of potatoes, but also the pleasant taste and virtues of the same, we may call it in English, 'potatoes of America or Virginia.'"

What is here called the "common potato," was the sweet potato, which was the root in common use previous to 1600. This was the plant alluded to by Shakspeare in the "Merry Wives of Windsor," where Falstaff is made to say, "Let it rain potatoes, and hail kissing comforts." Gerard speaks of the round potato as a great delicacy, and recommends that it be eaten as such, and not as a common dish. In 1630, Parkinson published a figure of the potato along with other roots that were eaten. It seems to have been quite rare in England for many years after its introduction. So little attention was given to this plant that it is not mentioned by Loudon and Wise in the edition of their "Complete Gardener," published in 1719. Bradley, who wrote on horticulture about the same time, says that: "The potato is of less note than horse radish, radish scorganers, beets, and skerret." During the reign of James I. they were furnished to the royal table at two shillings per pound. And during the succeeding reign, and the Commonwealth, the potato continued very scarce and high in price. So slowly did it come into use that it was only toward the close of the eighteenth century that it came into common use.

Hence we find that in Essex County in 1796, 1,700 acres were planted to supply the London market.

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 opposition, 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 Germany, 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 guard 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 fully 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 varieties, many of them of very superior excellence.