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Show IATO J.LL 5BINET JLUC3L kxrfLI. ' iVl J YL. and. IVwwnn who UftU.lt hall.f. iid cui.ni'tlnns, Tim pilot of an tti lemnvr would nmka ptxtr hoadwsy if ti which b bft'ora ih mutt J. guvs up by "( KN TOME; mm k fV J ITU corn and America b" Tba term fi "corn" potatoes world, la com-'v- nionly used lo tba west-rn hemisphere to mean corn, "maize," or inaiai and not the rather generic expression under which all Included, grains ar to English nomen-daturIndian corn bai spread over tba whole earth, till now It la a sta ble crop In Africa. In many parta of Europe, and even la Aula, where tha original Indiana cultivate It without knowing or perhaps caring whence It came. If It haa not displaced It baa g at least supplemented rice, the great life grain, which from time Immemorial baa been grown In tha far eaat; but Indian corn la an antipodal product, having coma, aa blstory teacbea ua, from tha neighborhood of tha latbmua of Tebuantepee, In North America. Tha potato came original! from South America. (lut here It la necessary to pause a moment to atata that .what la really meant by the word potato la tba plant and tuber vulgarly called tba Irish or wblta potato, although It baa no mora relation to tba Emerald Isle r ... 1W ift'Jii . 'ssrsw rim in I'v.ri JZVtfAlXXH i i m aix IfflIX mm l r n i ill i v. 111! m ifj nL I I aa potato with what la now knownsam"batata," the aweet the potato, from ples of which surely came than earlier aomewhat Virginia this time. It la probable tfcat Drake an gave potatoes to Raleigh. At statement rate, It is an accepted that Sir Walter Italelgh was for their use in Ireland, because he gave several to the Southgrandfather of Sir Robert famine the check to who, well, the spreading in that island after disastrous failure of the grain them at once crop, cultivated to there, and popularized their ubs credit his eternal John Gerard, a celebrated Eng- -- Sv than that the good people there are very fond of It The mlannmcd "aweet" potato haa no right whatever to the title. That pleasant vegetable belongs to the morning glory family, botanical) being known aa Ipomoea batatas, thua again betraying a fictitious relationship to the other family, because the batata la a native term for the real potato aa well. Again, It la unjustly suspected that this sweet potato la the vegetable actually brought by Drake and Hawkins Into England, where It masqueraded for some years aa the genuine ruSouth American food of contemporary mor. It must be underatood. however, that S the sweet potato la likewise a native of Amer- f,iv.V lea, but Ita original home was probably the West Indies and Central America. At any rate. It grows In the tropics and aubtroplca and finds lta climatic limitations at about the temperature and altitude at which the Irish turn Si mwiunf ji potato begins to thrive. The yam Is another L Jl j jinn-i- t appellation of the sweet potato, although that, too, la an error, for the yams d Iosco-rea- e belong to a group of climbing planta. A number of varieties are found throughout of the Indigenous potato, the Maglia, which so atthe tropica and aubtroplcs, and they are cultracted the attention of Darwin when he made tivated In both the East and the West Indies. his famous voyage In the Beagle. Aa far Other rootsand tubers may resemble the posouth as the Chonoa Archipelago (about 45 tomato is related to It, but they tato, and the degrees south) this plant grows wild near the must not be confounded with the far better sea. The from It resemble English poknown vegetable, which alone is entitled to the tatoes, andpotatoes have the same smell, but do not name. The commercial and domestic classifistand cooking so well. Little effort seems to cation la stronger, however, than the scientific, have been made to develop the original tubers, and therefore no attempt should be made to although they form a good part of the food aeparate tbem In the popular mind. of the people, yet In this neighborhood the IsThe common, or white, or Irish potato Is unland of Chtloe alone has about 25,000 acres undoubtedly American all through. Its prehisder cultivation, of the 123,000 acres devoted to toric and aboriginal habitat was the western potatoes in all Chile. That the Europeans slopes of the southern continent, from the found potatoes In Quito and Bogota need not neighborhood of Quito In Ecuador, or as some be denied, but there Is no strong reason for claim even from that of Hogota in Colombia, to supposing that It was more than the same the central region of Chile. plant already mentioned, transported thither Dotanlcally, the potato Is a solanuin, one of ' before they came. the most diversified plants of the vegetable Quite another story Is uncovered along the coast of South America. There the potato is kingdom. Something like 1,000 varieties have ben described, but, assuming that several of considered a European vegetable and is cultithese are not substantially accurate, there revated only by those whose experiences are main at least S00 which are well known. It Is derived from the old world. No tradition conremarkable that only about 40 varieties have nects the few remaining natives with a past in which the potato flourished, and In the minor pinnate leaves and produce tubers on the roots beneath the ground, and that these special Instances In which the "wild potato" haa been varieties are chiefly of American origin. All found, experiment shows that It is Inedible and kinds of the these tuberous, pinnate-leaveperhaps even poisonous. This Is the case in the "wild potato" of Parsolanum are nearly related and very probably have a common origin. This first habitat of aguay. Such a plant has for years been the potato has been laid by some students, quite known to,, exist in the basin of the Itiver as much for the sake of poetic harmony as for Parana. It grows on the plains, budding in historic exactitude, In Central America near March and April, and ripening during the winthe home of the primitive maize, but in all ter months of May to August The tubers are fairness South America deserves and will bold about the size of a walnut and sometimes the honor. larger, soft and watery, full of irritating The edible potato, from which all the Euro(the active alkaloid of the potato), and of a poor taste. They are not eaten nor are pean and American variations have been deedible potato Is veloped, was undoubtedly cultivated by even they cultivated; the the inhabitants of the west coast of South considered an Imported vegetable, foreign to America who occupied the land before the arnative experience and Judgment, while the vegrival of the Incas. When ihe Spanish conquer-er- s etable that takes the place of potato in all naarrived there, they found one great source tive dietary is the "mandloca," which has been In of food supply in this native vegetable. prepared as a food from time immemorial by inhabitants. Peru, however, It was not a coast product, for the The food potato of commerce made its way, the climate there semed unfavorable, and what happened to grow on the lower levels therefore, from Its prehistoric home In the The were small, Insignificant and watery. Andes to North America and via Europe to the best kind of potato grew at an altitude of about eastern shores of South America. Great credit belongs also to Sir Francis 7,000 feet, back of Lima; It was small, round, with a thin skin, and was yellowish inside Drake, who learned of the potato about 1578, is(papa amarllla). In southern Peru, not far either in Peru Itself or in some near-b- y from Mollendo, but among the foggy regions land. He took specimens back with him, stop(June to September), up among the rocky hills, ping first in Virginia, where he helped to plant the potato has been found wild. them in 1585. In 1586 he arrived in England, Passing farther along the coast Into Chile, carrying potatoes among his treasures, and where the climate la quite temperate and conthus the story arose that potatoes came from sequently la suitable, even near the coast, for North America. Closely allied to this error auch vegetables, there Is found that other form that other; which confused the 30uth American it , r.-v-f- . 1 , d a d i rc that ship. RICC COMBINATIONS. Itlce when well cooked it so en of digestion, so nourishing and whole some that It seems poor economy to use so much of other starch foods and neglect the rice, which forms the chief food of so many millions on the fruit ceraeed, aa ba bad noticed what aplendld cor other side of the globe. tain planta were allowing, and reawned For the main dish of a meal It can u combined with veal, chicken and rectly that tha product muai equi be quea-tlomeats In the form of croquettes Eiactly what the tuber U, la another other a aacrlbed to Hy aoma He production la oi etcalloped dishes, with tomatoes not proved. funitoua Irltatlon, although tbla la and curry, with cheese. Another Is a bava Aa baa been aald, not all the aolanaceaa nice dish of egRS cut very of tha famInto buttered baktubera, nor are alt tubera membcra In and put eighths not the tuber la ily. Ite the cauae what It may, layer of cold cooked ing dish with bea trua root, but a teaflcea branch, uiually few spoonfuls of a rice then first, low yet Bometlmea above tba ground; the ayea thick white sauce, a sprinkling or time on a tuber are leaf buda which In due and a layer of atema. Tba cheese and seasonings form and eboota Into lengthen buttered with Finish crumbs, eggs. of contenta of a tuber are a reaerve aupp y This bot until bake and thoroughly It until food, aupportlng the young growth Is a dish sufficiently filling for a main can put forth roote of Ha own. dish. Five hard-boileeggs, two cupa The food aupply In the potato, la ahown by of rice and a cup of white sauce, sea: aanlyala to be about aa folio Parts. soning and a little grated cheese wIU . 18.8 we enougn to serve five. Starch, etc For supper or luncheon dishes tbero . 2.1 Nitrogenous matters Is nothing for a light meal more ap. 3.2 Sugar . 0.2 propriate than plain boiled rice with Fat 0.7 rich milk. Salines Desserts of rice with eggs and milk 75.0 hard-cooke- va sup-portin- ' ar.i a ' a. " .$f I lish botanist, grew them in Eng. of Raland, following the example own gardenhis ordered who leigh, to er, with a utilitarian purpose, other them alocgwtth cultivate ins that The story vegetables. was inwhose curiosity man, this new the plant tensely aroused by from America, watched lta growth carefully, and when the fruit It (sic) was ripe, gleefully plucked tasted and stem the from it. As he found this part of the plant merely Insipid, he spat it out in disgust, and complained to Sir Walter that he had waated so much time upon the miserable thing: Mls this, then, your delicious fruit from America?" The reply startled the gardener, for he v was told to drag up the ofI t fender by the roots, for fear that the other planta might be contaminated. On was doing so, however, he discover to astonUhed among tbem a mass of extuactly the same kind of bers be had planted In the 'Cook tbem," said spring. then "and give me your Raleigh, Sir Walter of this strange flavor opinion." At the first and ever afterwas delighted he vegetable wards gave particular attention to Increasing bis supply of the wonderful potato. was spread By such experiences the potato over Europe. In France it was a rare but was prized vegetable in 1616; in Germany it Eutime on, that from and recognized In 1650. rope, as well as other parts of the world, gradually accepted It as an addition to the food supply of all peoples. It la unwise to discuss Inhere the mooted point about the and Mexico Arizona; digenous potato of about the origin of the S. commersonli In Uruguay and Argentina; for the settlement of It cannot disturb the fact that the Solanum tuberosum, the common potato of today, came from the west coast of South America, and that the natives of these regions must be Its food given credit of having recognized va'ue long before they were discovered by Europeans. The widespread botanical order of the solan-aceaemto which our potato belongs, braces plants of little aparent similarity. There are, as members of the great family, among medicinal plants, for example, the hyoacyamus, dulcamara, belladonna, and datura; among food supplies are the thorn apple (a tree, in this case), the artichoke, and the tomato; and adding to man's enjoyment if not to bis vital sustenance, the capsicum or the chile of commerce, and the American tobacco. Not many of them have tubers, however, and of the tubers, the potato holds the prize for its usefulness in human economy. The tuber of the plant we are interested In is the common potato. Now, the tuber Is a curious provision of nature which by propagation can be carried on by means of the regular and normal plant activity of the seed above ground, and also by anomalous stems, enlarged by the development, to an unusual degree, of cellular tissue, which are below the ground. Potatoes have seeds and fruit like any other member of the botanic kingdom, but when left to themselves it may happen that more energy Is expended In storing up food in the tubers, so that flow-er- s and seeds are Imperfect Theoretically It makes little difference which element tuber or seed Is used for perpetuation of the potavO, but practically so much encouragement has been given to the tuber that the seed Is habitually ignored. Incidentally It deserves mention that the popular Burbank potato, the spread of which was one of the earliest demonstrations of the genius of the botanical wizard, Luther Burbank, was propagated from the Water .100.0 Total , although of course variations in these methdepending upon soil, climate and ods of cultivation, are to be expected. It Is evident, therefore, that the potato Is not a perfect food, and that It lacks sufficient nitrogenous matter while having a superabundedance of starch and sugar. That does not any stroy its value nor its usefulness, by Inmeans, nor Its popularity, for next to widemost Is the dian corn and rice, the potato ly used vegetable In tbs world. Today no hopeful settler, after trecklng Into a virgin wilderness, thinks his little garden or potatoes; complete without the pretty patch no domestic or public meal Is served without Its tuberous embellishment, and after masternext step of ing the art of boiling eggs, the to prepare bow to Is learn the young housewife potatoes. The grand total of potato production for one year amounts to about 6,500,000,000 bushels, and this gigantic crop comes from every conh of the tinent In the world. Over h not Is in quite Germany; grown output from Russia; usually a little less even h about than that, from Austria-Hungarfrom from France; about Poland, and a alightly less quantity from (con tiKuous) United States. of the In the United States, almost one-thiryear's crop is grown In the North Atlantic states, but the group of North Central states east of the Mississippi river runs a close second: of the other subdivisions. ' the Central states west of the Mississippi are next In importance, and the far Western states are fourth. This illustrates one fact about the potato; It is very susceptible to climate and cultivation. Left to nature, it is only a moderately prolific plant, and cannot thrive in a country too hot or too cold, but has Its habitat essentially in the temperate zone; on the other hand, it responds readily to good care, so that the more It Is nursed the better does It grow. The few rules to follow in successful potato growing can be learned by any farmer. First the soil must be suitable, but this la not hard to find. It must be light, so as to offer no great resistance to the enlargement of the tubers; well supplied with organic matter, yet no more than moist, and containing abundance of natural fertilizing ingredients. Well drained sandy loam la excellent; clay should be avoided. Crop rotation is advisable, as the potato bears well after certain preceding crops, but may wither If succeeding Itself too regularly. Liberal manure Is necessary, but of the right kind. The rows should be laid off as close together as practicable without Interfering with horse cultivation, and generally speaking the seed pieces should be dropped about 12 Inches apart in furrows made in the level field and not on the ridges, yet deep enough say four inches to afford ample cover to them. It must be mentioned that In speaking of potatoes the word "seed" means the tuber or portions cut from it In which an "eye" has formed; the botanical seed may be used, but no benefit Is derived from that method; care must be taken, however, that the sprouts from the eye are not injured, and it Is best, therefore to use eyes from which sprouts have not appeared. The uses of the potato as a food have long ago been vindicated. Nothing can dislodge it. Not even the latest discovered dashen, a Japanese and Chinese claimant to tuberous popularity, will take its place, even though It may be proved to possess more protein than the South American predecessor. Whole books have been written on the culinary art of cooking the potato. Boiled, baked, stewed, or fried, it has been a garnishment to the more aristocratic dishes of every feast since it was discovered, and has supplied many a full meal to the humble masses who do the world's work. Nothing but a, poem could tell Its praises, and a sonnet is the least tribute through which our gratitude to Peru should be expressed. As a source of Industrial alcohol, that substance which is commercially especially known aB denatured alcohol, potatoes are being regarded as of increasing value. Next to food, however, the greatest to mankind of the American potato is avlue source of starch, m this, too, It vies with corn. Potato starch is every year proving its merit and whatever can provide Btarch, has a lone popularity ahead of Itself. Starch is one of the essentials of civilization, its uses are the demand for It is and for unceasing, . . . both art anrf !nrlnBn.u ,. i" oe con- must Bujjpiy w,7" prow-lions- one-fourt- one-eight- one-nint- make most appetising dishes. Rice and milk baked with dates and raisins and served with cream Is another good dessert A Spanish dish, using red peppers, rice and any bits of cold meat cut In small pieces, a layer of rice and a sprinkling of onion, then a layer of meat and tomatoes made bot with fresh red peppers. Cover all with a few green peas and serve in the baking dish. Rice a la Rlston. Finely chop two thin slices of bacon; add to one-hal- f of a medium-sizecabbage, finely chopped, cover and cook slowly thirty minutes. Add a fourth of a cup of of boiled rice, one-halteaspoon minced parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Moisten with one-hal- f cup of white stock, ejther chicken or veal broth and cook fifteen minutes. Turkish pilaf is another dish liked by many. Cook a half cup of rice In a tablespoonful of butter until it is brown and the water is absorbed. Add three-fourth- s of a cup of tomatoes and wok until the rice la soft Season and serve. f well-wash- ed d pro-tea- i t VI ALL not that man wretched who, whatever III h suffers, haa a child to love. South?. M Blessed Is tha hand that prepares a pleaaura for a child, for there la no laying whan and where It may bloom forth. Jerrold. OI3H FROM LEFT-OVER- The dally problem of keeping within a certain allowance and seeing that nothing la wasted is a constant one. When you have a few sweet potatoes left from a meal, slice them, sprinkle with brown sugar and bits of butter and bake In the oven. Escalloped potatoes prepared from cold boiled potatoes and a little white sauce and onion juice sprinkled with makes angreen peas, also a other appetizing dish. When you have a little strong cream cheese left over, grate It and mix with left-ove- a beaten white of egg, season with salt, cayenne and pack in the cheese Jars or serve on circlets of toast and beat. To be served with tea. Ginger bread baked in thin sheets, cut In rounds and put together sandwich fashion with cream or cottage cheese make delicious little tea cakes. When a little pastry is left and one has time to do It, very pretty little baskets may be made by putting the pastry over Inverted patty pans and For the handleB, twlBt the baking. pastry In strips and lay around a baking powder can to bake. Fill the baskets with preserves or ices and Insert the handles. These make very effective deserts. If one has a bit of orange left over, add It to the mince meat. vegetables of all kinds may be into good salads. V there are several varieties, season and pile them In groups with parsley In between. Carrots, green peas and potatoes, a few of each, In this way make Cold converted a good mixed salad, and one can take the preferred vegetable when being Berved. ' When making a dessert for dinner, like a custard, Just do not add the sugar until some of the thickened custard Is removed, and that may be fla vored with vanilla and sweetened. The rest may be seasoned for salad dress-- , ing, the one process doing for both dishes. n. .,.. ty, therefore, no one should doubt that few blessings to humanity san surpass that which came to the world through the famous po-at- In Luck. Caller How much for a martlags license? Town Clerk One dollar. Caller I've only got 50 cents. Town Clerk You're lucky. s |