THE ORIGINAL HOME OF THE POTATO.

Waikato Times, Volume XX, Issue 1676, 3 April 1883, Page 4

THE ORIGINAL HOME OF THE POTATO.

Ox January 26th, at the regular meeting of the California Academy of Sciences, Piofcssor John G. Lemmon read an interesting r-apcr on the " Native Potatoes of Arizona, where, when, and how f,hey were found." He said that after (searching for three years, from 187.0 to 1881, unsuccessfully for the native home of the potato, he finally found it, while with his wife he was engaged in exploring the Chiriealuia Mountains in Southeastern Arizona. They left Fort Bowie, in the famous Apache Pass, just at the close of the summer rains, and in September they found in a cleft oi one of the hightest peaks north of that Pass, under a tangle of prickly bushes and cacti, a solitary little plant of the species Solanum. Easier to know if it was bulbbeariog they caiefully uprooted the little tuber, which proved to be an undoubted representative of the true potato family. With great c«ire he dissected its organs and analysed its characteristics. According to the researches and reasonings of Hum bold t, this wai the location to look for the home of the species from which •our first potatoes sprung. In .May, ISB2, Professor Lemmon and his devoted wife again set out in search of more specimens, choosing the Huachnca Mountains as their point for exploration. This range is about midway between the Colorado river and Rio Grande, and is crossed by the Mexican boundary line. Yuma is due west, and El Paso and Sante Fe are nearly due east of the Huaehuca Mountains, which occupy middle ground, both physically and cnthnologi4 cally considered. Along the valleys of the great arterial rivers multitudes of aborigines moved from the home of the Montezumas in the densely populated plateau of Anahuac in Centr.il Mexico, to found the wonderful, and by no means mythical, "Seven Cities of Cibola" on the far northern Gila river. In comparatively modern times this architectural and skillful agricultural people irrigated the plains of the Santa Cruz and the San Pedro river, and built " Casa-Grandes" and vast cities along their banks, whose ruins claim attention and searching investigation from every intelligent visitor. The Huachuca Mountains have two peaks over 10,000 feet high, with sides furrowed into deep canons, those on the north-east being filled with trees among which are maple and ash. Strata of granite, gneiss, porphyry, sandstone, slate, tiachyte, quartz, and limestone are the principal rocks, exposed in regular terraces, showing marks of violent rupture and wildest confusion in certain sections. Rattlesnakes and centipedes, cacti, and yucca were abundant. In places they traversed splintered shales and volcanic cinders knee-deep. In July last they discovered the potato ■ plants they weie searching for on the southwest side of the range, hidden among the rich bottom soil of a dell in a high valley. A few plants of the white species were found in full bloom, and farther on blue blossoms weic found. 1 The white flowered species formed tubers on shorter subterranean stems than the blue ones. The blue flowered potato plants sent off their runners fiom eighteen inches to two feet. July 12th they were m full bloom. The blossoms ■were large, and the white-flowered were of a creamy white color with greenish midribs to its corolla lobes. The subterranean steins were not longer than those of our common Irish potato. The blossoms of the blue-flowered are smaller, Wight purple, with pale white midribs ' to the corolla, with fifteen to twenty flowers to a head. They were found at an altitude of about 8000 feet in Tanner's Canon, and some of the plants' were two feet high. Later in tho season they produced potato-balls of unusual size, comparatively speaking. These native species of potato, which may have been, and very likely are, the original native stock from which all our potatoes now used have sprung, deserve a fair trial and careful propagation to develop them to the size now attained by our best Irish potatoes. By the Ist of September the blue-flowered plants formed bluish-colored potatoes, oblong, about an inch and a half long by half aa wide and a third as thick, with from four' to ten unmistakable potatoes on each plant. The white flowered plants ,pro- , dn'ced white potatoes, nearly round, 'from half an inch to one inch in diameter. These potatoes are unquestionably indigenous. Still another variety was /found near the summit of a peak 10,000 \ feet high, under the shade of fir, pine and poplar trees, growing in soil kept moist during the greater part of the year, by inbltina snows. Its nodding balls of ripened seeds were surrourided by golden rods and brilliant asters. Their tubers were tinted with' purple, and seed-balls were either solitary or in pairs. Professor Lehimon brought back with him over ' tliree quarts of these small potatoes, coihprising the different varieties, , beside 's6me seed-bails. Mr Igo, a hermit in these mountains, whom Professor, Lemmon interested in his discovery, has recently written him that in digging up the bea of an old pon 1 he has secured a lot of these potatoes, perfectly white, hs large as hen s eggs, which on being cooked 'tasted well, and have all the appearance of .very) line .pptatoos., .Various, agricultural' societies of the East have manifested , the utmost interest in , Professor ' Lemmpn's great discovery and are making, .carefiil preparations to' cultivate ',the specimens he has forwarded thejn^wittij every advantage scientific experience cftn suggest. The reproduction of ihe potato from its original source is an undertaking promising' important results of tho utmost importance , to mankind; 1 Prctfesspr , MehWwritesiromthe East in. regard ( tp,. Professor Leiumen> discovery :—•• T,ho ( u r j dbi'dS may, yet^e blessed by the arduous, litifti ftndp&'P'&i&htevpmentsp'; fiw IpMejiploVete of the Hijtochuca; Mditn-mtisr^Wny-'W bu,r present' Wfites »re poor'W fliiekseaf' rlisWl) 'HHWng thfk vital force*

[ aired, hence llalik to attack from fungi >rhich Might, lMWd fchftt pbUAdtyUtytio d 1844, and which -varieties in the full vfigof of youth wdMitJuntf ib'ff affected by it at all, Week plants* invite attacks, wM&h-' I'hvbh&hoh&is '/lfeaistui Profostffr P*ttliinoft. <fottjld«ilr«' 'notorious "GoloraSito/ \)t'6tM'fe\3fttn^'off'[theflCMi\Vild(indifcfiiowBi potato plantain the HuachudaMountajnsi'' l'ltlsl Ihxg,/. wjiich'p «>etnns pp^ninpopMyn. located in the hislnj)' ) l>la^ca)ix;9^,tl>e^ J&ocky Motintnins, nn,d 1> jg-*m jjtai in,nn'h eastward from (.'olorado, fyetJ^tii'Oi^ th«s<Wild potatoes! hence hey^jnpfiuir^a a ta«te j'or the cultivated qpcoioa, which it trivets in its journeys ,e;v8 u ,var/l^nB, far aa Ohio, tvnd even in Caiunh. The indigenous (Arizona pota^oea arc yor.y deliciopa .when booked, fasting like small potatoes of | juultivatcd A^iu.t.ics, f but hai;dei'^of, ileah. •with thicker'nk'in alid'inoi'6 pro'nbuneed hnalities, as .^f, ,it, a lurge potato < jedndensod to these small tubera.