Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 92, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 April 1916 — Potatoes In Corfu. [ARTICLE]

Potatoes In Corfu.

The French soldiers now occupying the Greek island, of Corfu are perhaps not aware that the potatoes which are furnished them at every meal are of French origin. This precious tuber was unknown at Corfu until after the occupation by French troops of the "Seven Isles” in 1807; after the peace of Tilsit. “The French general, Donzelot,” says Le Cri de Paris, “commanding 4 he army of occupation, had much difficulty in feeding his troops. He wrote to France and in 1810 a' frigate came from Toulon loaded with potatoes. A liberal quantity of these was planted in the island by the soldiers of the garrison. The general offered samples of his first harvest to the inhabitants. They were unanimous in declaring that these unknown tubers had a disagreeable taste and that it was impossible to eat them. Four years later when our troops evacuated Corfu, the same natives bought the gardens and potato fields that had been cultivated by the soldiers. The natives had changed their mirfds.”