SC - potatoes

[LrdRas at aol.com]

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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