The Bossier banner., 1894-07-26
FARMER AND PLANTER.
MAIZE, OR INDIAN CORN.

The Cereal Undoubtedly of American ORR
gin-Its Cultivation by the Indians-The
Popping Varieties as an Article of Com
merce.
Corn was found in nearly all parts of
North and South America by the first
emigrants from Europe, and it was the
principal food plant of the Indians. 1t
is contended by some authorities that
it was known in Asia for centuries be-
fore the discovery of America by Co
lumbus, and that it was introduced into
Spain by the Arabs in the fifteenth
century, while Columbus was preparing
for his first voyage to America. But
all this is involved in much obscurity.
The great Humboldt, whose fidelity to
truth was never questioned, and who
had opportunities, as no other man of
his age had, to inform himself on the
subject, did not hesitate to say that
corn was first found in America and
from there carried to other parts of the
world.
Prof. Bremen, of Yale college, who
wrote q monograph on the cereals of
Americ. for the tenth census, in the
chapter on corn, says it is of American
origin, and his testimony is strength
ened by the fact that our knowledge of
corn dates from the discovery of Amer
lea by Columbus. If corn was known
in Asia before the fifteenth century, it
must have been far inferior to the
american article, as it cut no figure in
commerce and was not known in Eu
rope.
Corn has never been found in very
wild state, and must have been culti-
waited by the Indians for many centu-
ries, and we have good reasons to be-
lieve it was greatly improved by them.
All the principle types of corn were
known to the Indians, such as
dent, flint, yellow, red, blue, white,
early and late varieties. 1t seems
that the Indians were not as poor farm
ers as history gives them credit for.
They We're careful with their seed
corn, and, indeed, they cultivated the
most valuable plants now known to
the world In addition to corn, pota
toes and tobacco, they cultivated
beans, peas and pumpkins, besides
many other useful plants.
Corn in the hands of the white man
has been wonderfully improved. We
now have over 200 distinct kinds, ard
the yield has increased from 500 to 300
folds, and improvements to-day under
scientific selection and cultivation are
more rapid than ever. Where improve
ment is going to stop can not now be
conjectured, but that the yield will be
greatly improved | see no reason to
doubt. The quality of corn has
changed but slightly since the settle
ment of America by Europeans. H.
seems no great efforts have been made
to bring about a change in this direc-
tion. and it is the most difficult part
in any of the cereals to improve. The
quality of our fruits is now managea-
bic, and improvements are constantly
being made.
In the corns known as popcorn, some
improvement in quality is noticeable,
and we see no reason why great i'm
provement in the quality of popcorn
should not soon be made. In the early
accounts of corn popcorn is not men
toned, but that the susceptibility of
great heat was known to the Indians is
quite probable. AS the Indians were
in the habit of roasting their corn they
could not help observing that some
kinds were more apt to burst than 9th
ers, and doubtless they observed that
some popped grains were more sweet
and tender than others, and it may be
that they practiced some sort of selec-
ton to improved such qualities in corn,
or at least to preserve them.
In the hands of the white man bv TN.
careful selection of seed the liability of
certain kinds of corn to pop, when
exposed to great heat for some little
time rapidly developed We have
varieties of popcorn in which, when
well dried, there is 40 loss from grains,
not bursting when exposed to heat.
and we have kinds that when popped
arc as tender and as sweet as it well
can be.
There is no doubt but popcorn was
first cultivated by European settlers of
America in a small way as curiosity
or to amuSe the children, but for manv
years it has cut quite figure in COM
merce of the northern states Chicago
is the headquarters for popcorn in the
| United States, and it is much more ex-
| tensively used in the north than in the
south. There is a demand in all our
towns and cities for popcorn in the
ear. well-patronized grocery can use
from two to five hundred pounds. or
from two to five barrels flour barrels)
of popcorn in one season, and citv
like Louisville consumes annually
seven or eight hundred barrels of pop
corn.
Anyone raising popcorn for market
should be careful and plant the best, as
the better the corn the more readily it
sells. Popcorn before it is delivered to
the grocery should be well dried, and
this can not be done in the ordinary
way under nine months. 1t is not used
in the factories much under year afcer
it has been gathered, in order to avoid
any loss from grains not popping. The
crib in which popcorn is put to dry
should be open enough for free circu-
lation of air, and rats and mice should