Changes

===Europe===

===Europe===

[[Image:Potato.jpg|thumb|300px|left]]

[[Image:Potato.jpg|thumb|300px|left]]

Sailors returning from Peru to Spain with silver presumably brought maize and potatoes for their own food on the trip. Historians speculate that leftover tubers (and maize) was carried ashore and planted.  Basque fishermen from Spain used potatoes as ships stores for their voyages across Atlantic in the 15th century, and introduced the tuber to western Ireland, where they landed to dried  their cod.  

Sailors returning from Peru to Spain with silver presumably brought maize and potatoes for their own food on the trip. Historians speculate that leftover tubers (and maize) was carried ashore and planted.  Basque fishermen from Spain used potatoes as ships' stores for their voyages across Atlantic in the 16th century, and introduced the tuber to western Ireland, where they landed to dry their cod.  

In 1580, English adventurer [[Francis Drake]] introduced potatoes into England along with his other Spanish booty when he returned from his famous circumnavigation of the globe. In 1588 botanist Carolus Clusius made a painting of what he called "Papas Peruanorum" from a specimen in Belgium; in 1601 he reported that potatoes were in common use in northern Italy for animal fodder and for human consumption.

The potato was introduced into England via [[Raleigh]]'s [[Roanoke]] colony by a returning colonist, Sir Thomas Harriot, whose ship arrived at [[Plymouth]] on 28th July 1586.  

 

In 1588 botanist Carolus Clusius made a painting of what he called "Papas Peruanorum" from a specimen in Belgium; in 1601 he reported that potatoes were in common use in northern Italy for animal fodder and for human consumption.

The Spanish had an empire across Europe, and brought potatoes for their armies. Peasants along the way adopted the crop, which was less often pillaged by marauding armies than above-ground stores of grain. Across most of northern Europe, where open fields prevailed, potatoes were strictly confined to small garden plots because field agriculture was strictly governed by custom that prescribed seasonal rhythms for plowing, sowing, harvesting and grazing animals on fallow and stubble. This meant that potatoes were barred from large-scale cultivation because the rules allowed only grain to be planted in the open fields.<ref>William H. McNeill, "How the Potato Changed the World's History." ''Social Research'' 1999 66(1): 67-83.  </ref>  In France and Germany government officials and noble landowners promoted the rapid conversion of fallow land into potato fields after 1750.  

The Spanish had an empire across Europe, and brought potatoes for their armies. Peasants along the way adopted the crop, which was less often pillaged by marauding armies than above-ground stores of grain. Across most of northern Europe, where open fields prevailed, potatoes were strictly confined to small garden plots because field agriculture was strictly governed by custom that prescribed seasonal rhythms for plowing, sowing, harvesting and grazing animals on fallow and stubble. This meant that potatoes were barred from large-scale cultivation because the rules allowed only grain to be planted in the open fields.<ref>William H. McNeill, "How the Potato Changed the World's History." ''Social Research'' 1999 66(1): 67-83.  </ref>  In France and Germany government officials and noble landowners promoted the rapid conversion of fallow land into potato fields after 1750.