Archive for the ‘Potato History’ Category

Controversial Quest to Protect Potatoes in Ireland from Blight

by Annette Welsford No Comments
08 12potatoes1

Once the basic diet of the Irish, potatoes are once again the centre of attention in Ireland, with a decision by the country’s environmental protection agency to approve a trial of genetically modified potato crops. According to scientists, the motivation is to improve resistance of potatoes to blight. Various strains of this fungal disease have continued ...

The Real Cause of the Great Irish Famine

by Annette Welsford No Comments
07 12Famine memorial Dublin

Commonly referred to as The Great Hunger, Ireland’s horrific famine of the 1840s ranks as one of the very worst tragedies in the history of mankind. It is a well-known fact that the massive failure of Ireland’s potato crops from 1845 to 1849 was caused by a fungus (Phytophthora infestans) that generated blight. At the time, ...

Have Fun with Potato Stamp Art

by Annette Welsford No Comments
potato stamp art

Potatoes are not just a versatile and nutritious food, they can also be used to print fabric and other materials. While most children have a lot of fun making and then using potato stamps, creative adults can achieve lovely patterned effects easily, quickly and very cheaply. Fabric Painting and Stamp Art Fabric painting has been practiced since ...

Ancient History of the Potato

by Annette Welsford No Comments
History of Potato

Ancient Inca Terraces constructed for farming Source: www.travelblog.com The potato has a fascinating, if rather contradictory history that goes back many centuries. Now considered to be the world's fourth most important crop (after wheat, rice and maize), the potato (Solanum tuberosum) originally grew wild throughout the South American Andes. There are known to be more 200 wild ...