THE POTATO CHAPTER I HISTORY AND BOTANY THE potato (Solanum tuberosum), also called "white potato," "Irish potato," "English potato," or "round potato," is a native of the elevated valleys of Chili, Peru, and Mexico, one form of it being found as far north as Southern Colorado. The wild potatoes of Chili differ from the cultivated form, in that they produce seed-balls more freely. Tobacco, tomato, egg-plant, capsicum, henbane, and belladonna all belong to the potato family, but of this large family of 1600 species but six bear tubers. Some of these latter-as, Darwin's potato (Solanum maglia)—were thought to have some value for crossing to produce a blight-proof new race, but so far success has not been attained in the latter respect. A variety of Solanum commersoni, another tuber-bearing plant, is now being boomed in Europe as a substitute for the common potato. The Arizona wild potato (Solanum jamesii) has been grown for many years in this country in various places, but its tubers are small and of little value. The Mexican or Central American potato (Solanum tuberosum var. boreale) is found native in Colorado. FIG. 2-COPY OF ENGRAVING OF THE VIRGINIAN POTATO IN GERARD'S " HERBAL," PRINTED IN 1636 (Compare with photograph, Figs. 5, 6.) In England the name Virginian potato was used to designate its source. The potato was probably introduced into that part of the United States now known as Virginia and North Carolina between the middle and close of the sixteenth century. It is claimed that in 1586 colonists returning from Virginia probably took the potato with them to England. The Spanish had previously carried it to Europe. Gerard's "Herbal," published in 1597, describes the potato, and the edition published in 1636 contains a woodcut representing the potato as it appeared about three hundred years ago (Fig. 2). The potato was more readily appreciated in this country than in Europe, and by the year 1722 it was a common article of food among the whites and Indians in Virginia and Carolina.' In Europe, with the exception of Ireland, potato growing made little progress until the middle of the eighteenth century. The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is an annual, but is virtually perennial by means of its tubers. It has smooth, generally solid, more or less quadrangular, herbaceous stems, which often attain a hight of two to five feet. The stems are often furnished with membranous wings at their angles, and bear compound leaves formed of oval leaflets, between which are often found small, leafy growths. The flowers (Fig. 3) are borne in clusters, and have an entire, wheel-shaped, five-pointed corolla, varying in breadth from one to one and a half inches, and in color from pure white to purple. It is often claimed that many varieties do not flower, and of those which do a great number never bear fruit. This dearth of fruit is generally attributed to lack of pollen. In many varieties the stamens have degenerated, or do not open to let the pollen out." Conditions seem to have an influence, as a variety may bear abundance of pollen and mature seed in one district, but not in another in the same year. "Nat. His. of Carolina," by Mark Catesby, F.R.S., 2d ed. 2 Halstead, Proc. Assoc. Prom. Agr. Science, 1888, p. 33, "Potato Flowers and Fruit." The idea is prevalent that potatoes do not bloom so freely now as formerly. The facts do not tend to confirm this. Mark Catesby, who was in this country in 1722 and 1726, wrote that "in Virginia and to the a-Ovary. b-Ovules, which finally become seeds. c-Calyx, made up of green-colored leaves. d-Stigma. The pollen attaches itself at this place. e-Style, down which the pollen-tube passes to the ovary and ovules. p-Petals, white to purple in color. s-Stamens. The thick upper portion bears the pollen, and is known as the anther. north thereof, they [potatoes] are annuals, and produce no flowers, while in Carolina and the Bahama Islands they produce flowers." Many varieties existed at that time, particularly in Virginia, and five kinds were common-the Common, Bermudas, Brimstone, Carrot, and Claret potatoes. The Bermuda potato was the only one that had a white flower, the flowers of all the other kinds being purple. This was the only variety that had a white skin, and was white fleshed. It was round in shape, more tender, and more delicate to raise than the others, and did not keep so well.1 George Don, in 1831, enumerates several English early varieties, and says that "none of the above sorts, when true, produce blossoms." " At Wyoming Experiment Station, in 1895, out of 56 varieties grown 14 did not bloom, but in 1896 but 4 varieties failed to bloom out of 56, and only one variety, Blue Victor, failed to bloom in one of the two years. In other parts of the State all the varieties grown came into bloom. In New York, during 1904, the variety Blue Victor was profuse in its bloom, and bore abundance of seed-balls. Out of 300 varieties I have followed closely, having grown many for several years, I find that it is seldom that a variety will not bloom at some time in its life, and I am sure that many of the heaviest-yielding varieties bloom as freely as those of inferior merit. At Wyoming Experiment Station the ten heaviest yielding varieties all came into bloom both in 1895 and in 1896, in experiments conducted in various parts of the State. The fruit, or seed-ball, is a globular or short oval berry, either green or green tinged with violet, brown, purplish, or yellowish in color, and from three-quarters to one and a half inches in diameter. It contains 1 "Nat. His. of Carolina," by Mark Catesby, F.R.S., 2d ed. |