Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1884-06-14

the greater part of Asia, in Africa, Ill
the south of Europe, and especially in
Spain and Italy, and, in some provN
inces of France, it is the principal ar
ticle of food.
Indian corn assumes different forms,
shapes, and size Of growth; and it diff
fers in length of time of ripening &C
cording to the climate. The plant
varies greatly from some Canadian
corn Of two feet in height or to that
of New England of from five to seven
feet, and that of the Southern States,
which rises to height of twelve to
sixteen feet. 1t is from five to seven
months in ripening in Southern cli>
mates, three to four in Northern and
Eastern States, and even as low as six
weeks and forty days far North.
All varieties of Indian corn are sup
posed to have come from one original
type, except that which is known as
popcorn, which is put down in the
books as a different variety from the
other corn, and is called yea caragua,
or VALPARAISO corn. Our common corns
are yea nays.
P. A. Brown, in "Faunce's Cabi>
net" vol. 2, describes thirty-fve vari.
cites. Gle omits several known vari'
cites from his list.) They are white,
yellow, red, blue, black, brown, etc.
He only states the number Of rows on
the ear of sixteen. One had sixteen,
one had twenty-four, one varies from
twenty-four to thirty-six, three had
ten, four had eight, six had twelve
the other nineteen not specified.
The eight-rowed corn is the lowest
Different varieties of corn differ among
other things in their proportion Of
starch, gluten, dextrine, oil and phos
pilates, and these differ, true to their
variety, though growing on the same
cob.
There is no limit TO the number O.
varieties of Indian corn which may b.
produced by carefully selecting anC
mixing of seed. This, however, is no
desirable. The best varieties should
be selected and kept as pure as posi-
BILE. For all practical purposes ou
corns may be divided into four classes
white, yellow, hard and soft, of eacl
of which there are many varieties
In all markets pure white corn com
mands the highest price. The sof
varieties of yellow corn degenerate
rapidly, and are disposed to rot
Golden Dent may be an exception
The family of sugar or garden corn
though interesting, need not be dis
cussed here.
In no book which l have examines
do l find any illusion to the color o
the cob. The important feature seem
to have been overlooked. | say i'm
, portant feature, because the red co
certainly distinguishes our best yarie
, ties of corn. The variety which is re
:, garded as the primitive type has
white cob. We know not when o
how the red cob came, but we ma,
: conclude that it is the result of cult
walton. The red, blue and black corn
owe their color to an opaque epidermiS
; the yellow and white to the oil AM
starch showing through Transparent
epidermis.
The Patent Office report for 1856
has colored plate showing the pre-
0 portion of oil, dextrine. gluten, stare
and phosphates in several varieties c
= corn. The proportion Of oil varies fror
D Otto II per cent, In making whisky
one. hundred bushels of corn yields l
: to IS gallons of oil, which is taken o
, the top of the tub as it rises during tn
fermentation.
In 1921 corn sold in Virginia at 6
y cents per bushel; in 1880, in Massachu
d sets, at $500; in 1859, in New York
e at Is to 20 cents; in 1870, in Rhod
: Island, at 25 cents; in 1880, in Piscat'
+ qua, N. H., at Is cents.
l. The botanical relation of Indian cor
Is places 1t among the grasses; though
e differs from most of them in having
e solid stem, and its mode of tlowerin
!, and in some other particulars.