SC - potatoes
LrdRas at aol.com
LrdRas at aol.com
Mon Oct 5 19:16:23 PDT 1998
In a message dated 10/5/98 9:47:18 PM Eastern Daylight Time, allilyn at juno.com
writes:
<< Sir Walter Raleigh made it back, and because of his experiences with
famine and poverty in Ireland, tried to get potatoes established as a
food crop. Whether he was using white potatoes, I don't know. He got
whatever he took back from Virginia, I remember that, but I think that in
period, the potatoes were still a garden curiosity. The peasants whose
lot he was trying to improve were too suspicious of the food.
Regards,
Allison >>
This is true. We might also consider the fact that potatoes were forced upon
the Irish as a sort of substandard food fit only for peasants. This occured
with the Africans and peanuts, turnips in Germany and other European contries,
etc.The Discovery channel had a series about Ireland recently which covered
most of the Irish and potato question. If it airs again , please consider
watching it as it is informative and, in many ways, a real eye opener.
IIRC, there is some evidense that they were grown in botanical gardens and
even possibly as an ornamental but any person cooking a pot of potato tops for
greens would have been quickly discouraged from eating the rest of the plant.
:-)
Ras
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