The Irish Potato Not Irish

"The peculiarity of tho Irish potato, so called, is in the fact that it ia not Irisb," observed one of the potato experts of the agricultural department. "The potato originally grew wild in the flelds of Chile, Pern and Mexico. Sir John Hawkins did not take it to IreJand until 1565. Sir Francia Drake took it to Eugland 20 years afterward. It did better, however, in Irelaud thau anywhere else aud got its name, no doubt, because of its early and extenaive cultivation in Irelaud. Botanieally il was originally knowu as the Batata virginiana, but in after years it was properly identified aud classified as the Solanum tuberorum. As the winter stook is now beiug laid in, it rnay be wel) for the inexperienced to be able to select good potatoes. "Out the raw potato iu two and rul the halves together. If the moistnre on rnbbing is soft and liquid euough to drop, the potato will be soggy and set when cooked. Rub the halves briskly around on each other. A potato tha' will be dry and mealy when cooked wil. give out a good, rich frotb, while a poor oue will show onJy a watery froth by tbe same aotion. The pieces wil stick together if the potato is a gooc one. Of course the whole thing ig to tesl the amonnt of starch in the potato, for the more starch the better the potato. If, however, a person intends to lay in a very large snpply, the best plan, o: courso, is to cook them, and there wil