The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-11-14 00:00:00

LIME KNOWN DAINTIES.

GREW( MAIZE—It te strange that while green, or
" sugar corn," hits been for years one of the matest
dainties of the Transatlantic I linuer-tAle, mol is much
appreciated by many European natiims, it remains an
almost unknown delicacy in England, yet there is ts,
rowel why Indian corn in its edible form as a table
vegetable should not be as largely grown and con-
mourned here WI elsewhere. There is no practical diffi-
culty in growing maize in England, either to be eaten
in mm green state or to be ripened for other purposes.
This cereal is looked upon as adapted for cultivation
only in tropical regions, yet it forms the staple corn of
the North American States, and even Canada; its
varieties are much more numerous than the climates
in which it is found, and its various names would
puzzle the uninitiated, being only comprehended by
the trade.

The political abilities of the late William Cobbett
have been, and still are, called in question, but no one
competent to judge has ever doubted his skill as
a practical gardener •' yet, although Cobbett demon-
stated, by growing it in his own ground in Surrey,
that maim would., as a culinary vegetable, flourish
and even ripen in our climate, its cultivation has
received but little attention. It is true that latterly
the subject has been revived, but it is only in excep-
tional cases that amateurs have been successful in pro-
ducing satisfactory results, almost all failures resulting
no doubt from one and the same cause—the lack of
discrimination or want of knowledge in making choice
of seed.

I have cultivated one particular kind of maize for
seven consecutive years, and the corn never failed to
ripen, no matter what the season ; in dry summers the
ads ripened much earlier, but however wet the
autumn, the reed always came to maturity.
My attention was first called to the possibility of
growing maize successfully in England by a chance
perusal of an old edition of Cobbett's English Gardener,
and residing at the time in the vicinity of Liverpool, I
made inquiries of a friend of mine—a corn-broker in
that town—as to the different varieties of maize, men-
tioning at the time my desire to try the experiment in
growing it for table use.
Taking into consideration the uncertainty of our
climate and the variable length of our summers, my
friend advised my sowing a variety of corn known on
the Liverpool Exchange by the name of Galatz, at the
same time presenting me with a small bag of the grain.
From that gond I subsequently grew all my Indian
corn, sowing each season part of the produce of the
previous year.
During the last few seasons the seedsmen's catalogues
have contained alengthylist of maize for garden growth,
and XII the trouble involved in the cultivation is not
greater than that necessary for the prisluction of any
other culinary vegetable, we may yet see maize in such
quantities in Covent Garden and other markets as to
stamp it ltis a ids* produce; at present it is a dainty
known only to the epicure.
Sii much has already been written to the columns of
this paper on the cultivation of this plant, that it is
unnecessary to allude to it here, save to say that I have
never raised my corn in heat; I have always sown in
the open ground from the first of April to the second
week in May, have thinned out the plants to a foot
apart every way: earthing up when the plants were
about two feet high, and watering liberally during dry
weather with manure-water, the ground at the time of
sowing being in such a condition as would he suitable
for the growth of good cabbage. Were maize once
introduced into our markets, there is little doubt that
it would soon become generally appreciated. During
the International Exhibition held at Vienna green
corn was sent up daily as one course at the faGe Mfe,
and became AS IMllltdar with the Viennese residents
and English visitors as it was with its American
introducers, indeed one Englishman liectune so enral.
ture,l with the delicacy that he resolvisi to ha; e it at
home, and the following spring sowed his sinall sub.
urban garden entirely with maize. As lie got his seed,
a large tropical variety, from a corn-chandler in the
neighbourhood, he never had the satisfaction id gather-
ing a single cob • a few abortive attempts at seeding
were made by the plants, but not a single peefect grain
was ever formed, so he gave up growing maize in
despair. My experience has been, that about the
beginning of September, or even the third week in
August, some cobs were ready for use, but much of
course depends sos the season; if warm and dry, the
corn will be the S.MilloZ ready. The beet way of judg-
ing when this is the case, is to press the forefinger and
thumb upon the cob on either side, if each grain can
be distinctly felt and is; yet full enough of milky
juice to yield to the touch, it is the right moment for
gathering, . . . _

As every.. Plant prodmrs from two to four cobs, it is
probable, in a private bluffly, that there will be a
greater number than are required for culinary nrposee
alone; therefore those that are not needed f,w bsling
should be left to ripen, which they will do by the end
of October, and should be kept„in the cob until the
following spring, when the season for sowing has
again arrived.
To wok the corn, have ready a pot of boiling water.
into which drop the cobs; they must be kept con-
tinually on the boil, and will be quite tender in
half-an-In aw, when they may be served up on buttered
toast, or eaten with butter, salt and pepper according
to taste.
My experience convinces me that at any rate this
particular variety of maize could be profitably culti-
vated as a farmer's crop in this country, especially in
our southern and midland counties.
& P. is Gardenari CAraniek.

A fine of Lloo was on Thursday inflicted at the Worship-
street Police Court on a maker of fireworks, for having
manufactured these in an unauthorised Place. The
magistrate characterised the caw as one of tho most
reekloge• ho hail ever heard of, and said the defendant had
been guilty of the most outrageous diaegard of the public
safety. The alternative of a issonth's imprisonment Was
allowed, and the prisoner was locked up in default It is
quite time that ouch people lilw,uld be taught that some
reg_ard is due to the safety of the meruhers of the public_
Mogi CURBS OF COUGHS, ASTHMA, AND TIGHTNESS 01.'
TII6 CHEST isv Da. I.OOOCKII PULMONIC WAYBILL—FM[II
Mr. Fell, chemi„t„. 5,3, Dewsbury-road_,Jeeda—" Raring
had occasion to we Dr. Lucock's Wafens myself, for
llghtness of Chest, I found them answer admirably, and
ass,
the hightest eulck ium from others, who have tried
them for Coughs, As 41m. In Asthma, Con.
I hear
gumption, Brow.Mtil.
Colds, and Ithetunatiam,
they give instant relief. at la lid. es.9d. I&6t and
Ila per box, by all Druggists.

_
Printed and !Maths,* at 8, High-street Welk plait
in the Pan& 0111017 Trtniti, by Gso. Puma. of.-
put& 01 pcirdlngtoo. Dorchester, for the Preloll°'
Tuesday, November 11, 1876.