_BY T.A. KNIGHT, ESQ., F.R.S., PRES. HORT. SOC._
Mr. Knight is convinced by the evidence of experiments, "that the
potato plant, under proper management, is capable of causing to be
brought to market a much greater weight of vegetable food, from any
given extent of ground, than any other plant which we possess." There
is no crop, he says, "so certain as that of potatoes; and it has the
advantage of being generally most abundant, when the crops of wheat
are defective; that is, in wet seasons." The following observations
are extremely interesting:--
"I think I shall be able to adduce some strong facts in support of
my opinion, that by a greatly extended culture of the potato for the
purpose of supplying the markets with vegetable food, a more abundant
and more wholesome supply of food for the use of the labouring classes
of society may be obtained, than wheat can ever afford, and, I
believe, of a more palatable kind to the greater number of persons.
I can just recollect the time when the potato was unknown to the
peasantry of Herefordshire, whose gardens were then almost exclusively
occupied by different varieties of the cabbage. Their food at that
period consisted of bread and cheese with the produce of their
gardens; and tea was unknown to them. About sixty-six years ago,
before the potato was introduced into their gardens, agues had been
so exceedingly prevalent, that the periods in which they, or their
families, had been afflicted with that disorder, were the eras to
which I usually heard them refer in speaking of past events; and I
recollect being cautioned by them frequently not to stand exposed
to the sun in May, lest I should get an ague. The potato was then
cultivated in small quantities in the gardens of gentlemen, but it was
not thought to afford wholesome nutriment, and was supposed by many to
possess deleterious qualities. The prejudice of all parties, however,
disappeared so rapidly, that within ten years the potato had almost
wholly driven the cabbage from the gardens of the cottagers. Within
the same period, ague, the previously prevalent disease of the
country, disappeared; and no other species of disease became
prevalent. I adduce this fact, as evidence only, that the introduction
of the potato was not injurious to the health of the peasantry at that
period; but whether its production was, or was not, instrumental in
causing the disappearance of ague, I will not venture to give an
opinion. I am, however, confident, that neither draining the soil
(for that was not done,) nor any change in the general habits of the
peasantry, had taken place, to which their improved health could be
attributed. Bread is well known to constitute the chief food of the
French peasantry. They are a very temperate race of men; and they
possess the advantages of a very fine and dry climate. Yet the
duration of life amongst them is very short, scarcely exceeding
two thirds of the average duration of life in England; and in some
districts much less. Dr. Hawkins, in his _Medical Statistics_, states,
upon the authority of M. Villerme that, in the department of Indre,
'one fourth of the children born die within the first year, and half
between fifteen and twenty; and that three fourths are dead within
the space of fifty years. Having inquired of a very eminent French
physiologist, M. Dutrochet, who is resident in the department of
Indre, the cause of this extraordinary mortality, he stated it to
he their food, which consisted chiefly of bread; and of which he
calculated every adult peasant to eat two pounds a day. And he added,
without having received any leading question from me, of in any degree
knowing my opinion upon the subject, that if the peasantry of his
country would substitute (which they could do) a small quantity of
animal food, with potatoes, instead of so much bread, they would live
much longer, and with much better health. I am inclined to pay much
deference to M. Dutrochet's opinion; for he combines the advantages
of a regular medical education with great acuteness of mind, and I
believe him to be as well acquainted with the general laws of organic
life as any person living: and I think his opinion deserves some
support, from the well known fact, that the duration of human life has
been much greater in England during the last sixty years, than in the
preceding period of the same duration. Bread made of wheat, when taken
in large quantities, has probably, more than any other article of
food in use in this country, the effect of overloading the alimentary
canal: and the general practice of the French physician points out the
prevalence of diseases thence arising amongst their patients. I do
not, however, think, or mean to say, that potatoes alone are proper
food for any human being: but I feel confident, that four ounces of
meat, with as large quantity of good potatoes as would wholly take
away the sensation of hunger, would afford, during twenty-four hours,
more efficient nutriment than could be derived from bread in any
quantity, and might be obtained at much less expense."--_Trans. Hort.
Soc. quoted in Gardeners' Mag._
* * * * *