The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-10-28
VARIETIES OF CORN
The Most Interesting Fields Of Corn proba.
/. bly, Ever Planted. y: I; ].
GRAIN WAS AT LEAST 1000 YEARS OLO
Tho Average Yield TO sho Acre Esti-
mated TO DO 26o bushels Tho
Stalks OF This PrehIntorio Variety
Grow Twelve Feet, and Attract n
Grcnt Denl OF Attention.

- .;
a special to the Chicago Record from
Andersen. Ind, says: 't ta
Tho work Of laying in" Indiana's
great corn crop has begun. This week
the cutters entered eastern and central
fields and are beginning to put the corn
:rl the shock. AS yet the reports from
the different sections of the State are
not complete. but enough are in to
summarize the official report
Owing to the late spring, which held
back planting In almost every section
\ until May l, and to the drought durirlg
| the summer, the yield will be cut down
very materially. In eastern and central
Indiana the average yield will not run
more than thirty bushels Many fields
VIII run up to nifty and sixty bushels,
OUT Inc poor fields Will cut down the
average woefully. Ia the northwest
prairie section. which has Benton coun-
" as Its heart, the crop will run an
average OF probably forty bushels. In
the southern section Of the State the
yield probably will not go over twenty
I'VE bushels, the poor soil on the
Knobs cutting down the general aver
| age. The corn has experienced Won
uerluliy fast growth and Is maturing
very early, Notwithstanding the fact
that II was not planted until late Pro-
oaoly the planting this year was the
latest In the history or Indiana. Many
nelos In eastern Indiana were not put
"a until May 10. This Is thirty days
later than the usual time for Indiana
| seeding.
soME PREHISTORIC CORN.
Dempsy Waggy. farmer residing In
Mauison county, probably has the most
| interesting field of corn In the State
TWO years ago "aggy and DR.. Cullen,
a helghDor, were hunting In Arkansas
They were staying In q small village
named Marked Tree. It got its rather
| unusual title from the fact that one OF
Inc trees bore strange hieroglyphlcs of
| an extinct race. The small village Is
surrounded by many mounds of remark
apie snake-like contour. During their
stay some northern scientists visited the
mounds and began explorations. finding
many trinkets. Going deeper they found
oones or humans and trlnkets which had
| peen buried with them. In che of the
Theoretically sealed receptacles, which
| was evidently the last resting place of
one OF the rulers, the explorers found
o os the skeletons OF dog and
or human being ana also some her
metically sealed Jars. Both Jars were
alright and when opened were found to
contain corn. 1t was as bright, yellow.
solid and dry as though 1t had been
sheiled. The. explorers took these yes
sels' 'out gave WaSgy a handful OF the
corn. He wrapped II UP In q handker-
chief and threw 1t into his travelling
chest. There 1t lay FOR two years.
Scientists claimed that there were ample
proofs that the body and the corn had
been inferred at least 1000 years and
probably as long as 1000 years
Waggy came across the seeds last
| nil tat H..
He was surprised when tiny blades shot
up through the ground. The corn grew
marvelously fast and as II deyeloDed II
| threw out new mysteries almost daily,
| until too day tho stalks are ten to twelve
feet III height and are somewhat on the
order Of tree being as thick as a
mans wrist at the ground Three feet
from the ground they shoot out three
long. palmlike leaves. The leaves are
heavy and very solid, resembling q
cactus leaf. Some of them are five feet
long from tip to tip. These are the only
leaves on the stalk. about two feet
FARTHER up are the ears OF corn. Many
than four ears. At this rate It Is figured
that the average yield to the acre would
be about ESQ bushels
| Above THE ears the stalk continues
three or four feet and is.torped with a
very elaborate tassel. The husks sur
| rounding the ears are very heavy and
as THE corn natures they break and curl
back. revealing a firm, yellow grained
ear. The grains are very solid and are
exceptionally good for feeding. The
roots OF the plant are very long and bury
themselves deep into the ground.
While other corn was suffering on ac-
count of rhe Drought this year the pre-
historic corn was green and healthy
Wasgy Will save aAl pf the yield this
year He has some of the stalks and
corn on exhibition and they are aJttract.
ing much attention.
ANOTHER EXPERIMENT NEAR AN.
| DERSON.
II. J. BiacklIdge, Of Anderson. who
| owns several farms month OF this city
also exhibits q freak In corn. A wear
ago a friend On Russia sent him n back
age OF seed and told him to plant II
me seeds were very nice and solid and
seemed to be superior to the average
indian corn. 1T was planted in a good
io"land section and 1t o,rtgrew all of
the surrounding corn. 1T was about tho
! same height as the other corn, but was
little heavier in the stalk. The ezra
began ITO form and silk and every evo-
tuition was about in line with that of
tine other corn which surrounded tho
small patch, except THAT there were two
ears on the new stalks to one on tho
Old. ''s
One day when the strange corn Ind
almost natured Blacklidge went out to
gather little OF It. He took hold az n
well formed ear and threw back tho
husks. He was surprised to find inste ~
OF yellow grains of corn series Of
smaller huskS N7nere every grain should
|, be. He opened one Of these and fWrnl
, 1t to be properly sllked. and under II
was the grain Of corn. Blacklldge fit