The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-07-22


brief newspaper article to add much
original information to that already
extant respecting this most important
of American grains. 1t is my inten-
ton to present the views of the best
authorities to which 1 have access, and
to add to these, such facts, relating 20
its structure and growth, as L have
learned from my own study and OBJ
servation.
HISTORY.
When or where Indian corn orig
mated is a question which probably
can never be satisfactorily answered.
There is a widespread belief that
Tropical America in it's original home,
but some other facts seem inconsistent
with this view. The chief arguments
in favor of it's American origin are as
follows: Dodonias, in 1888, Gerard, in
1897 Matthioli in 1915, all wrote of the
introduction of corn into Europe from
America.
Thomas INITIAL and DeCandolle,
after sitting all available evidence
with greatest care, pronounced in fav-
or of an American origin. The same
may be said of Darwin, Humboldt and
Flint.
All of these writers claim that no
mention was made of corn prior to the
discovery of America, and that al
though it was mentioned by a Chinese
writer as early as 1872, sixty years
after the discovery of America, the
time had been ample for corn to be
introduced into China from Java
where it is known to slaye grown as
early as 1900 The writer's above re-
ferred to, also point to the significant
fact that early travellers in Asia and
Africa. never mention corn, though
they often minutely describe other
productions.
There seems to be good authority for
the statement that Columbus found it
growing in Cuba, Cortez found it in
Mexico, PiZarrO in Peru, and early
settlers found it in New England, Cam
ada, Virginia and the Mississippi val
ley. John Winthrop mentions several
varieties which grew in New England
in his day. It is also certain that corn
has been found in the cave mounds of
Arizona and Utah, though how great
antiquity this would indicate is still an
open question. In 1875 2 Mr.. SpitZ
found what he supposed to be petri-
fed ears and stalks of corn in stone
quarry at LaPorte, Adams county, Ill.
The few specimens of his which l
have examined / believe to be of
coral formation, and not a vegetable
petrifaction of any kind. 1t is said
that in the Smithsonian institute at
Washington, there is an irregular 13-
rowed ear Of corn, which was found
near Ariquipa, Peru, in the tomb of an
obviously ancient mummy. Opposed
to this testimony which points to an
American origin, is a considerable
mass of testimony which indicates an
Old World, probably an Asiatic or
! igin.
1t is almost always true that closelN
related plants are found in a state of
nature, in the same locality. If corn
| is a native of America this is an ex-
ception to this general rule, for the
known plants which are most nearly
related to it, Millet, Indian rice, Sorg-
hum. ETC., are all know to be natives
/ OF Asia. It is almost incredible to the
biologist that a plant should originate
so far from the home of it's nearest
relatives.
Early Spanish writers tell us that
the Arabs brought corn into Spain
during the thirteenth century, and on
some other authority it is stated that
! the returning crusaders brought it
| from Asia Minor as early as 1904. In
1905 an Italian writer named Crescenzio
described the culture of some grain
which many believe to have been corn.
Mr.. j. Crawford, who lived nine years
in Java, and who made some careful in
Vestigations, concludes that it was Gull
| tivated from very early times on that
island, and that it was carried from
4
the latter country was introduced into
Europe under the name of Turkey
corn.
Gerard, writing in 1897, speaks of it
as Asia corn.
Conflicting testimony might be al
most endlessly produced. Is it not posi-
BILE that while corn is a native of
Asia, it was brought over to this con-
tnent at very early day by some of
the early settlers, the mound builders
or the Indians, or some people who
came at still earlier time?
BOTANY.
Indian corn is known to the botanist
as Yea Mays, and it belongs to the
natural order Graminae or the grass
family. So far as is positively known
it does not now grow in a, native state,
though there is a plant known as wild
Icorn," which grows in the mountains OF
Mexico and tropical America, which
may possibly be the parent corn, though
lit is more probable that the wild corn
has escaped from cultivation. This ap-
pears more probable from the fact
that, though in the wild corn" each
kernel is enclosed in a husk, it reVerts
to the cultivated form in one or two
generations if it receives artificial cul-
tivation. The staninate or male
flower and the pistillate or female
flowers are borne on the same plant
The seaminate flowers, which are usu-
ally produced on the top of the stalk
form the tasels. A close examination
shows that the tasel is composed OF
ispiklets, each bearing two flowers
having three stamens and two bracts.
The pistilate flowers are produced on
the middle portion of the stalk in the
form of spikes. The spike, or the
spikes, for the number varies from
lone to several, are developed in aXiles
lof the leaves, and ultimately form
the ears of corn, which are enclosed by
tough spathes or husks. A careful ex-
Iamination of the pistillate flower
shows it to be three ovuled at first
but two ovules early disappear. The
lovule which is to develop into a kernel
is attached TO a long style, or silk, as il
lis commonly called. The pollen, which
is to fertilize the ovule. usually begins
to fall as soon as the silk appears.
Ordinarily the tassel continues TO dis
lcharge pollen for seven or eight days
This result in more or less cross fertiliz-
alton, which adds greatly 20 the vigor
lof the seed.
Each stalk of ordinary corn produces
two sets of roots. The first set appears
before the stalk rises above the ground
and consist of a clutter of thread-like
lrootlets, which supply the plant with
lmost of the nourishment which it draws
from the ground. The other set Of
roots are known to botanists as aerial
roots. These are produced several