New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-07-29
CURsosnrsEs OF INDIAN CcRN.

This undoubtei native Of the American con-
tiuent yields to human industry the greatest and
most valuable of crops In fact, the two next
greatest in the Union, wheat and hay, do not
equal il in money value while beside il the bOasted
cotton crop is mere fraction. II Importance
is universal, az there is no product which Is
common to all the States that bes ever been 70
extensively cultivated. The first settlers found
the Indians in possession of it, and hence its
common name. Although much has been written
on the Eastern origin Of this grain, yet Il did
not grow in Asia, nor has it been even mentioned
BY any ancient author. 1t has never been found
IN any ancient tumulus, sarcophagus, or pyramid;
nor has it ever been represented in any ancient
painting sculpture, or work Of srf, except N
America. But, in tbs country, according to the
earliest Peruvian historians, the palace gardens
Of the Incas were Oruameutcd with maze in
gold and silver, with all the grains, spikes,
stalks and leaves; and, in one instance, there
was an entire corn.fcd of considerable size, rep
resenting the maize in its exact and natural
shape-a proof no less Of the wealth Of the lncas,
than Of their yeneration for this important grain.
plant, it may be stated that il il tin found gfow-
ing in Wild state from the Rocky Mountains to
the humid forests Of Paraguay, wdcre, instead of
having each grain naked, as is always the case
after long cultivation, it is completely covered
with glumes or hufks. Columbus found the
natives of Hi-panioa cutivatiug it in extensive
fields and those Of other places frat visited by
him were also in POSSESSION Of it, The fret
Enelishmcn by whom il was cultivated were they
who settled in Virginia, in 1905.
In England all cereals used as food for man
are called corn; bat those WHO frat landed here
from that country found new cereal, also used
as food By the abOrigines. They added it to their
catalogue Of corn, with the prefix of Indian. As
it had been for ages the man dependence Of the
Indians, 70 it has since become tho real staff oil
life to thirty millions who now occupy their
places, while it is gradually making its way to
favor among other millions in Europe. In our
early Indian war; our invading armies struck at
their cornfelds. The burning of a wigwam
town was misery to women and children, but de-
struction of the cornfeds impoverished the entire
tribe. The former could be quickly rebuilt but
the latter could not be repaDted for year. The
pioneer settlers give no accounts Of the Indians
having many varieties Of corn. They seem TO
have been content with what they had. With
them agriculture was a necessity, not a rccrea-
ton IL was one of the many tasks imposed on
the women. They planted, gathered, roasted
pounded, and cooked il. The powihare still occa-
sionally turDs up, on the site of forgotten wig
wan, the rude stones between which the ripened
grain was crushed for baking into cakes. The
higher civilization Of the whites quickly seized on the
new cereal, recognized its value as food for man
and beast, improved its culture, multiplied its
varieties, made its increase hundred.fold, and
by the invention Of machines for Smelling it rapidly
and grinding it cheaply, raised it TO the position
of staple so important, that if the whole wheat
crop of this country were suddenly annhilated,
the corn crop alone would supply rs plcnteously
with food. 1t already equals the wheat crop Of
tho whole world. The latter can be proftably
only within certain ATTITUDES, but corn
grows luxurisnty in all. The border tropics
refuse to yield wheat Louisiana aud Florida
produce but 800 bushels annually, but nearly
if,VVV,oOV Dusheis vi coIh' Oui sin'rs cohsupio
no more wheat than did the aborigines--corn is
their sole food-and it may be safely asserted
that if the corn crop of this country were TO be
annihilated Slavery would be on the high road
to starvation. The vitality of that institution is
due much to the low cost Of corn, as to the
high price Of cotton.
The annual average wheat crop Of the world
is 9O0,000,OOO bushels, OF which lsar 100000 900