Potatoes
- Words:
- 448
- Submitted:
- Sun Oct 11 2009
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... The growth and quality of potatoes is greatly influenced by cool temperatures, moisture, light, soil content and nutrients. Ideal conditions are daytime average temperatures around 70 degrees F and cool night temperatures. The potato is a member of the nightshade family along with peppers, eggplant and tomatoes. The potato was first cultivated by the Inca Indians in Peru over 4,000 years ago. The mountainous terrain of the Andes, fluctuating temperatures, poor soil conditions and elevations over 10,000 feet proved to be the ideal settings for the Symara Indians to develop over two hundred varieties of potatoes. In 1536, Spanish Conquistadors conquered Peru, became aware of the potato and carried them back to Spain. In 1586, the potato was introduced in Britain by Sir Francis Drake. In 1770, a French pharmacist named Antoine Parmentier, saw the potato as a solution to the recurring famine problem in France. Potatoes are said to














