STRANGE BELIEFS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12253, 8 April 1935, Page 3

STRANGE BELIEFS

‘DANGEROUS” POTATOES

tat,e of t’tte CHEESES

Tt is entertaining;, every new and thoi'i to delve into the curious history of some of tho products that the farmer deals in. For example, potatoes.

Tli or o was n time when people would not ont potatoes because they believed that ihov poisoned 'bo ground, and (bat (hose who ate them go{, leprosy. And that was not much more than 100 years ago-, says a Southland writer. Layman, abused' them in the newspapers', and clergy from the pulpit as “dangerous fruit—a dangerous race’’ —Vthnt /is, from Spa in j In Franco it was not until the King nvore in his buttonhole flowers from potato plants given him by a friend that the vegetable became popular. When potatoes wore first introduced into England) which wa.s about 1580 they were eaten sopped in wine °r boiled with prunes. “Beyond boyled «r sodden they are verie good incato." said an old writer. Another wrote; “Their nutriment is at it were a mean be(iween flesh and fruit, and being toaste t ) in fho embers they lose much of their windiness. They are no loss toothsome, wholesome and dainty than the flesh of the quince.” Or let us look info the curious history of choose. . . J(, is alleged fhafc cheeses were once used as ammunition in a naval battle between Brazil and Uruguay. Captain Coe, lighting for Uruguay, ran out of shot buj- still bad plenty of powder. He turned to bis first lieutenant: “We had a darned hard cheese for dinner” lie said. ‘'Remember it?” ‘1 ought, to” said the lieutenant: ‘I broke the carving knife trying to cut. it. There arc about two dozen of them.” ‘Will they fit into tho IS pounders ?” ‘By thunder, commodore, there’s a.n idea ! I’ll try ’em.” And 1 it is alleged that the cheeses fired at tlm Brazilian flagshopj, so puzzled the Brazilian, admiral, avlio thought they were a nejw anp deadly type of bomb, that he fled. It is said also that in Switzerland it used to bo a custom for a cheese to be made when any child was born The cheese was given his name, and when he was married the guests :| to some of it, Tl>e rest was kept to be oaten at his funeral,