Excerpt from Illustrated and Descriptive Catalogue of Potatoes for Seed, 1877 When first introduced into Europe it created great excitement, of a similar nature to that caused by the introduction of tobacco and coffee; for many years it was only to be found on the tables of the Opulent, where it was used as a dessert either in the form of a sweetmeat or as a fruit. The first varieties grown in the United States were brought from Europe. The quality was very poor, and not a variety then in use would at the present time be deemed fit for the table. It is only within a comparatively recent period that it has found its way into both continents as a general article of food for man and beast, or has received attention from agriculturists. Many of our most practical and foremost gardeners are now directing their attention and energies to its improvement and propagation. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.