Show CENTENARY TRI OF THE POTATO the trl tri centenary of the introduction or of the potato 13 to bo be celebrated in england this year fr for it IL was in ill KM 2 94 exactly three centuries ar ato 0 o that sir walter raleigh planted the first irish potato in it hla his estado at youghal You Youg ahal hal near cork it Is a singular tact fact that an ln lit significant plant with no beauty of loaves or tl owera with it A nauseous odor and aau a dulco fee of a 0 u quality duality ulm among tho c crevices r services of 0 the rocks which hound bound the shores or of ceru and chile unknown to the world at largo large and all but negle ce by the alie rude ruda lia natives tives should have hav e been transferred transi three thre I 1 cc ago aeo to europe eventually to bine me ono one 0 of the moot important articles of hundall diet find and largely influence tho the population 0 of halt half the globe the potato belongs to a family 0 of plants botanically known all ail tile the so lana crae which includes tile the deathly nightshade and other poisonous noua plants tile tho juice of its own loaves leaves arid and stems and even of tile th skins of its tubers la Is slightly poisonous onous in its native plate the plant is 1 small und the tubers rarely exceed the elio of a walnut or common chestnut they ore are also of a waxy consistence and have LL a slightly taste the color of tile the blossom la Is generally x alte in it BE ead of the red and purple hues huea of I 1 the he cultivated boris iby tile the careful cu cultivation bif of man however these there small waxy arid and bitter tubers lutera have been swelled out into larex farinaceous palatable potatoes iota ioe onn one winslo stent producing many pounds weight DUE but more than three ren cen juries ha have v e elop seI sint aim c P the introduction 0 of f tl the 0 into k u rap strange to say nay the name of him who mho first dm introduced trod trad ohp root resta upon nearly ax all doubtful douht ful authority as aa that 0 or the planters pl antera of the ce realla nore more than soon sono coara ears a go As ai to its introduction into areat britain bw however el ill thero Is 11 1 leani doubt it in certain that tile the expedition rent opt out by sir walter nallah in IM fart brought the luber to england Ene lanil it Is almont equally certain that sir walter raleigh himself wag mas the first lK arson roii to plant it in be british I 1 tish soil in the year IMS lin but it would a appear that hat before thin period the potato under tile tha name nam of 0 batata was waa known tit in europe nevertheless erL erth eless holess neither in great britain nor the continent did it become immediately popular for more than a century it languished in n obscurity in england little known and less prized it was confined to tho the karden garden ot of botanists and the curious and when used u sort at all as fool only at the tables 0 the rich as it a rare vegetable rather than ns as a standing dish the potatoes furnished to the table of james 1 I boio boic the high aleh price of two shilling per pound in I 1 reland ireland in lancaster and the western we joern tit districts ill of f england and in scotland I 1 arid whole me the land was wa portioned out in small parts on tile the cotter system the potato culture once begun rapidly advanced and spread over the whole country connorr and even to the amerl american can colonies i of great britain lit in franco france the potato was waa PI placed a cc d on tho the royal roial table as early as 1616 but it was an apothecary named who really introduced it and did all he could to have it generally cultivated tied more than a century and a halt later in 1771 a prize was offered ly by the academy ot at besancon nes ancon lor for the th discovery of oc a new food which should fill the place 0 of cereals in case ot or a famine Par exhibited hla his potatoes louls louis XVI gave eave hin him fifty forcen of 0 land wherein to plant them ills hh majesty Ia jesty also stuck the hewers flowers 0 of the iho potato in lit hit buttonhole as a bell bouquot bouquet marle antoinette placed them in tier her hair in the evening fashion ran wild after similar decorations decoration par anc ment lers palace wai inundated anund bated by princes dukes and high functionaries function aries AH tit paris talked only of rotators and Par the king said to tho the latter prance france will thank you some time hence because you have found bread for the poor ne new w york herald condensed tor for pullo pulle opinion |