Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-01-21
Census of 1850.
Extracts from Report Of the Superintendent Of Census
CENSUS OFFICE, DECEMBER l, 1852.


Extracts from Report Of the Superintendent Of Census
CENSUS OFFICE, DECEMBER /, 1852.
MAIZE, OR INDIAN CORN.
Among the objects of culture in the United States
the maize or Indian corn takes the precedence IN
the scale of crops as it is best adapted to the soil
and climate and furnishes the largest amount of nu-
trtive food. When due regard is paid to the selcc
ton of varieties and cultivated in proper soil 1T
may be accounted crop in almost every por-
ton of the habtabe globe between the forty fourth
degree of North latitude and corresponding paral-
lei South. Besides its production in this country
it's principal culture is limited 10 Mexico: the West
Indies of the States of South America. France
Spain, Portugal. Lombardy, and Southern and Cen
trail Europe generally. 1t is also cultivated with
success in Northern, Southern, and estern Africa,
India China, Japan, Australia, and the Sandwich
Islands, the groups of the Azores the Madeiras, the
Canaries and numerous other ocean isles.
Although there has been much written q n the
Eastern origin Of this grain it did not grow in that
part of Asia watered by the Indus, at the time of
Alexander the Greats expedition: as 1T Is not among
the productions of the country mentioned by Near
chus the commander of the fleet; neither is it no.
ticed by Arian Diodorus, ColumeIla nor any other
ancient author and even as late as 1871, the year
before Columbus discovered America. Joan dI Cuba
in his I" Ortus Santatis, makes no mention OF 1t
Ii has never been found in any ancient tumulus sar
copha gus pyramid nor has ever been represented
on any ancient painting. scul pture or work OF art
except in America. But in this country. acco1 ding
to Garclaso de la Vega of the ancient Peruvian
historians, the palace gardens of the lncas in Peru
were ornamented with maize in gold and silver. with
all the grains spikes stalks and leaves; and in
instance, in the garden of gold and silver there
was an entire corn field of considerable size, repre-
senting the maize in its exact and natural shape; a
proof less of the wealth of the lncas than their
veneration for this important grain.
IN further proof of the American orr gin it may be
sta ed, that this plant is still found growing in wild
state, from the Rocky Mountains, in North Ameri-
ca TO the humid forests of Paraguay, where instead
of having each grain naked, as is always the case
after long cGltvation it is completely covered with
glumes or husks. 1t is furthermore, we'll anthem
ticated fact the maize found in state of Guilt
walton by the ahorgnes, in the Island of Cuba, on
its discovery by Columbus we'll in most other
places in America first explored by Americans.
The first successful attempt to cultivate this grain
in North America, by the English, occurred on
james River, in Virginia, i'll 1908, 1t was underta-
ken by the colonst> sent over by the London com
pary, who adopted the mode then practised by the
natives, which. with some notifications. has been
pursued throug hout the country ever since. The
yield, at that time is represented to have been from
two hun red to more than thousand fold. The
Increase noted by the early settlers of Hi
nos The present yield, east of the Rocky Noun
tains. when jud couSy cultivated, varies from 20 to
1876 bushels to
The varieties of Indian corn are very numerous
exhibiting every grade of size color and confOrma-
ton between the : c'ubby red " that grows the
shores of Lake Superior-the gigantic stalks Of the
Ohio Vallcy-the tiny ears, with fat close clingng
grains of Canada the brilliant rounded little pearl
the bright red grains and white cob of the eight
rowed h9malite the swelling of the big white
and yellow gourd- seed of the South From the fex-
ibiity Of this plant it may be acclmatizcd, by grad
ual cultivation, from Texas to Maine or from Cana
da to Brazil but its character in either case, is
somewhat changed, and often new varieties the
result. The blades of the plant of great value
as food for stock and is article but rarely estl
mated sufficiently. when considering Of the agricul-
tural products Of the Southern and Southwestern
States especially.
The increase of production from 1910 to 1850 was
: 2l4OO00O0 bushels, equal to Sc per cent.
The production Of New England has advanced
: from G'993.OOO to 1O,377,OOO bushels showing an
increase of 3, 384,0OO bushels, nearly so per cent
New York, New Jersey. Pennsylvania, Delaware
and Maryland increased 20,Sl2O0O bushels more
than so per cent. In the production of this crop nc
State has retrograded Ohio, which in 1910
pied the fourth place a corn producing State
now ranks the first. kentucky is second, Illinois
third, and Tennessee fourth. The crop of Illinois
has increased from 100000 to 100000 bushels
or at the rate of 100 per cent in ten years.
Of the numerous varieties best adapted
to the Southern States while others better suit
ed for the Northern and Eastern. Those generally
cultivated in the former are the Southern big and
small yellow the Southern big and small white flint
the yellow Peruvian. and the Nirginan white gOurd
seed In the more Norther'y and Easterly States
they cultivate the golden Sioux Northern yellow
flint, the King Phillip or eight rowed yellow, the
Canadian early white, the Tuscarora the white -four
and the Rhode Island white flint
The extended cultivation of this grain is chiefly
confined to the Eastern Middle and Western States
though much more successfully grown in the latter
The amount exported from S, nth Carolina in 1748
80 308 bushels from North Carolina in 1853
, Gl, $50 bushels; from Georgia in 1855 600 bushels
from Virginia. for several years preceding the Rev
olution annually 100000 bushels; from Philadel
phia, in 1866, 60 ,205 bushels in ILL., $50 AL
E bushels.
The total amount exported from this country in
ITO was 57S,349 bushels in 1871, 2O64936 bush
. els 35 Cos Of which were Indian meal in 1900, 3
O32 435 bushels, 338, lQ8 of which were in meal in
: 1910 100000 bushels, 8G.744 of which were in
meal. In 1920 81 there were exported so. 81
bushels of corn and 13l go bblS of Indian meal
, in l830-3l 57l3l2 bushels of corn, and 207 6O4
bbls of meal in 1910 Al. 535, 727 bushels of corr
= and 232. 2S4 bbls. of meal; in 1S4J-46 1.286O6S
bushels of corn and 298 100 bhls. of meal in 1915
Al, l6.326,050 bushels of corn. and 94S,060 t6s
of meal X: in 185O-5l 3.426SIl bushels of corn
and 203 600 bbls. of meal. More than eleven mil
lions of bushels of Indian was consumed in 1851
in the manufacture Of malt and spurious liquors
According to the of 1910, the corn crop o
the United States 1881 1918 bushels; in 1850
. 592 326,712 bushels
The Dat, when considered in connection with tn
artificial grasses and the nourishlnent and improve
ment it affords to live stock, may be regarded as on
Of the most important crops produce. Its histor
> is highly interesting, from the circumstance tina
Il while in many portions Of Europe it is formed int
meal, It forms an important aliment for man on
Sort at least has been cultivated from the DAYS @
> Pliny, on account Of its fitness an article of die
for the sick. The country of it's origin is somewha
thOurh no &c