The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1893-03-04
OUR NATIONAL EMBLEM.

OUR NATIONAL EMBLEM.
What plant of our splendid flora shall
we choose for a national emblemE
1t should be one which is purely
american, which is widespread, dlstinct
in character and rich in ASSOCIATION.
The plant which fulfills these conditions
in the highest degree, and from us lm-
%portance ~transcends them all, Is oua
stately grain, the malZe-the corn l1io
Indigenous to America, and peculiar 10
it-never a kernel elsewhere IN Tue
world until carried from here: III grows
in many varieties, from Northern Gan
ada to Southern Chill. with It's ON
handing height, its graceful, cnfvlng
leaves. its CLOWN of flowers, It's Sllken
tassels and plant husks--nature's choi-
cest wrappings for her stateliest grain
and, above all, for its golden ears, true
co%rnucopias, symbols of abundance and
10y, it Is distinguished for beauty and
dignity and individuality. 1t is asSocia-
ted with all life on this continent. 1t
was the food, with game, of the prim-
tive peoples hereof the wandering
tribes, the AZtecs, the Incas-and the
object of their prayers and t~hanksgiv-
ings in songs and dances and rituals, as
it is of their descendants to-day.
Among ourselves it is our most impor-
tant grain product, nearly equaling in
value that of all the other cereals
together. Then 1t lends itself with such
effect to decoration. Its leaves, its
flowers, its tassels, its ears. with their
varied tints and forms, make it uDriyaled
for artistic use. And always it is so
unique, so purely Americ an! The eagle
flies for other lands; the maize is native
only of III own. let the states choose
what flower they will; but for a National
emblem let us have the only plant that
Is American enough to fifty symbolic
us the maize, the corn.
The arbutus and the golden-rod,
The heart of the North may cheer,
And the mountain laurel Of Maryland
Its royal clusters rear;
Aud jasmine and magnolia
The crest of the South adorn,
But the wide Republics emblem
Is the bounteous, golden Corn!
Edna Dean Proctor in Ladies' Home
Journal.
The above was sent to the INTELLI-
eENCER for publication, by an esteemed
lady friend, who is doubtful about ac-
cepting Miss Proctor's statement that
ut (corn) is indigenous to America, and
peculiar to it-never a kernel elsewhere
in the world until carried from here"
Our fair correspondent asks What
kind of corn was the beginning of JOS
eph's difficulties, and later on of his
brothersp What of the land of corn and
wine, and of Christ's plucking the ears
as he and his disciples went through the
fields, etc.?
The word corn is simply a general
name for grain-for ages the principal
food of human kind. Almost if not
every kind of grain is spoken Of as corn,
hence to get the meaning of Miss Proc
tors selection we must discuss the kind
OF grain she speaks of as corn.
This grain is our Indian corn-accord-
ing to Linneus "Zea Mays" according
to others, maize"
1t is quite evident that our maize is
not the kind of corn produced in Egypt
the kind that Joseph's brethren went
after, AS proof Of this we find no sign
of it in the monument writings of an
Gent Egypt. The jewellers of the Nile,
who back in the dawn of history led all
other people in civilization and enlight-
ment, to whom came the effulgent sun
light of intellectual advancement while
surrounding nations were cropping in
thedarkness of total ignorance, were ever
loyal to that to which they attributed
life and prosperity. Had they known
and used roasting ear of our maize,
ever tasted an ash cake, the old fashion
ed hoecake or the Drowned pone with
''ole mammy's" finger prints imbedded
in Its crusted surf ace, think you some
sculptor oren graver in the t~hankfulness
of his heart would not surely have left
sign in granite or basalt, some in
destructible sign?
Ruel and Fuchs both believed that
corn (maize) came from Asia. Bonafous
claimed knowledge, by hearsay, Of a
drawing of it in a Chinese work on agri.
culture published in 1862. The Chinese
name for it was Li-chi-tchin. However,
there is no mention of our corn by an
Gent travellers in the east prior to the
sixteenth century, and this would bear
out the belief that it was unknown prior
to the discovery of America.
While Bonafous and Gerard gave it
an Asiatic origin, Humboldt, on the
contrary, who as Ingersoll says, became
great Notwithstanding he was born rich,
whose travels and researches, whose
probings down into the hidden things of
nature brought so--much light and truth
to the surface, unhesitatingly declared
that our Indian corr is indigenous and
peculiar to America. And his testimony
is probably more valuable than all the
others. Endlicher also attributes maize
to America.