Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/810

MAIZE. flowers upon their extremities, small ears borne toward the bases of tassels, branched and flattened ears, etc.

Although the widespread cultivation of maize has given rise to very many varieties commonly grouped according to certain characters of the grain, most botanists recognize only a single species, Zea Mays, of very variable habit. Sturtevant, however, has given to the different groups the following specific names: Zea tunicata, pod corns; Zea everta, pop corns; Zea indurata, flint corns; Zea inrentata, dent corns; Zea amylacea, soft corns; Zea saccharata, sweet corns; and Zea amyleasaccharata, starchy sweet corns. The first group, Zea tunicata, or podded corn, which has a pod or husk for each kernel in addition to the enveloping ear leaves, is considered to be the original form of corn; Zea everta, or popcorn, its nearest relative; and Zea amylacea, or soft corn, the highest developed form. Millo maize, Jerusalem corn, Kafir corn, Egyptian corn, etc., are not varieties of Zea Mays, but of Andropogon, and are known as non-saccharine sorghums.

Corn is generally thought to be a native of America, probably grown in a wild state on the plateaus of tropical America. All evidence points to its cultivation by the native tribes long before the discovery of the country by Columbus, who is said to have carried the first grains of corn to Europe on his first return voyage. Its cultivation in Europe spread very slowly. Although introduced into Spain at the end of the fifteenth century, it did not reach France until a hundred years later. Historical data concerning its distribution in Europe are conflicting in many instances, but modern agricultural writers, summing up the evidence at hand, believe it was introduced into France and Italy from Spain, into Switzerland and Hungary from Italy, into Austria and Southeastern Europe from Hungary, and from Switzerland into the valley of the Rhine. It is said to have been carried to Asia and Africa from Portugal. The distribution of maize on the American continents has been coincident with the progress of the white race in the New World. The limits of the distribution of corn culture are given by De Candolle as 40° S. latitude in South America, 54° N. latitude in North America, and 50° N. latitude in Europe. The popcorn (see below), flint corn, dent corn, and sweet corn groups are represented in the United States by many varieties, the dent corn representing the bulk of the corn produced. In Europe the flint corns are more widely distributed than any other group. Flint corn in numerous varieties has a large, hard kernel, either white, yellow, orange, red, blue, striped, or blazed. The ears are usually from six to twelve inches long and the plants commonly grow from four to eight feet high. Dent corn is characterized by the indentation at the top of the kernel caused by the drying and shrinking of the starchy matter within. The outer portion of the kernel is corneous as in the pop and flint corns, but the proportion of starch is greater in this group than in either of the other two. The length of the ear usually varies from six to twelve inches and the height of the plant ordinarily from six to ten feet. Most varieties have white or yellow kernels, but various other colors are represented among the many different sorts. The varieties of dent corn exceed in number those of all the other groups combined.

Corn is a universal crop in the United States and is grown on many different kinds of soil, but for its best growth, a well drained, rich, sandy loam, which does not bake during drought, is required. In preparing the soil for corn it is plowed deeper than for any other cereal crop, the object being to obtain a deep and well pulverized seed-bed. In the northern portion of the Mississippi Valley, where the bulk of the world's corn crop is produced and where it matures in about five months, it is planted from about May 1st to the 20th. In other latitudes planting is done late enough to escape late spring frosts. It is most commonly sown in hills or in drills by means of a corn-planter, but it is sometimes also sown broadcast. The hills are about three and one-half feet apart each way, and three or four stalks are produced per hill; but when planted in drills single plants are grown about one foot apart in the row. From the time of planting until the young plants appear above ground the soil is harrowed for the purpose of keeping the surface in a pulverized condition and preventing the growth of weeds. The plants are cultivated with the horse hoe or corn cultivator after they have attained sufficient height and until they are too large to admit of further cultivation without injury to the plants. In the principal corn-producing States of the United States cultivation usually commences about the first of June, and lasts for about six weeks. Where corn is grown in hills, or checks, the direction of each cultivation is given at right angles to the preceding direction, so that the whole of the surface soil may be stirred. Planted in drills it can be cultivated in one direction only.

The practice of listing corn consists in making alternate ridges and furrows and drilling the corn into the furrows instead of plowing the land. This is done by means of the lister, an implement which ridges the soil and drills the corn at the same time. In cultivating listed corn the soil is thrown from the ridges toward the growing plants, so that by the time cultivation is finished the surface of the land has become level. The practice of listing is not general.

The time of harvesting depends somewhat on the use to be made of the crop. When grown for fodder corn is cut when the kernels begin to glaze and the lower leaves begin to dry. The cut stalks are put up in shocks and left to cure in the field. When dry the ears are removed and the stalks (fodder or stover) are used directly for feeding purposes or shredded and then fed. Shredding consists in passing the stalks and leaves through a machine which cuts and tears them into fine pieces. A machine known as the shredder and busker removes the ears and shreds the stalks and leaves. Corn grown for the grain is harvested when it is fully ripe and dry. The ears are gathered, husked, and stored in slat cribs, through which the air passes freely, thus drying the corn and preventing attacks of mold. This method of harvesting corn is known as husking, picking, or shucking, the first being perhaps the most common. The term ‘snapping’ corn refers to gathering the ears with most of the husks attached, which is sometimes done when ripe corn is fed directly from the field. Before it is fed or sold corn is usually shelled by passing the huskless ears through hand, horse, or steam power corn-shellers.

The most common disease to which corn is