ll pains in the breast, stomach, and
intestines, as well as so good for disordered lungs, whilst so much
better there than in other places, that the apothecaries of Cornwall
send thither for it; and some persons plant these roots in their
gardens in Cornwall, and will not part with them under sixpence a
root." The scarlet petals of the wild Poppy, very abundant in English
cornfields, when treated with sulphuric acid make a splendid red
dye. With gorgeous tapestry cut from these crimson petals, the
clever "drapery bee" (_Apis papaveris_) upholsters the walls of her
solitary cell. Bruised leaves of the wild, or the garden Poppy, if
applied to a part which has been stung by a bee or a wasp, will give
prompt relief.

POTATO.

Our invaluable Potato, which enters so largely into the dietary of all
classes, belongs to the Nightshade tribe of [442] dangerous plants,
though termed "solanaceous" as a natural order because of the
sedative properties which its several genera exercise to lull pain.

This Potato, the _Solanum tuberosum_, is so universally known as a
plant that it needs no particular description. It is a native of Peru,
and was imported in 1586 by Thomas Heriot, mathematician and
colonist, being afterwards taken to Ireland from Virginia by Sir
Walter Raleigh, and passing from thence over into Lancashire. He
knew so little of its use that he tried to eat the fruit, or poisonous
berries, of the plant. These of course proved noxious, and he ordered
the new comers to be rooted out. The gardener obeyed, and in doing
so first learnt the value of their underground wholesome tubers. But
not until the middle of the eighteenth century, were they common in
this country as an edible vegetable. "During 1629," says Parkinson,
"the Potato from Virginia was roasted under the embers, peeled and
sliced: the tubers were put into sack with a little sugar, or were
baked with cream, marrow, sugar, spice, etc., in pies, or preserved
and candied by the comfit makers." But he most probably refers
here to the Batatas, or sweet Potato, a Convolvulus, which was a
popular esculent vegetable at that date, of tropical origin, and to
which our Potato has since been thought to bear a resemblance.

This Batatas, or sweet Potato, had the reputation, like Eringo root,
of being able to restore decayed vigour, and so Falstaff is made by
Shakespeare to say: "Let the sky rain potatoes, hail kissing comfits,
and snow eringoes." For a considerable wh