The indicator., 1897-11-20
INDIANA'S FREAK CORN.
1t Grows on Trees from Prehis-
toric Seed.
The Strange Discovery of Scientists
In Arksnsa. Another sinsu-
lar Kind of Corn
from Russia.

Dempsy Waggy, farmer residing in
Madison county, probably has the most
interesting field of corn in Indiana.
Two years ago Waggy and DIR. Cullen,
neighbor, were hunting in Arkansas.
They were staying in small village
named Marked Tree. 1t got its rather
unusual title from the fact that one OF
the trees bore strange hierogIyphics of
an extinct race, The small village is
surrounded by many mounds of re-
markable snakelike contour. During
their stay some northern scientists Wis
tied the mounds and began eXplora-
tions, finding many trinkets. Going
deeper they found bones of humans and
triukets which had been buried with
them. In one of the Theoretically sealed
receptacles, which was evidently the
last resting place of one Of the rulers,
the explorers found ornaments, the
skeletons Of dog and OF a human be-
ing and also some hermetically sealed
jars Both jars were air-tight. and when
opened were found to contain corn. 1t
was as bright, yellow, solid and dry as
thougl 1t had Just been sheled. The
explorers took these vessels but gave
Waggy handful OF corn. He wrapped
it up in a handkerchief and threw It
into his travelling chest. There it 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
1900 years.
WaEgy came across the seeds last
spring and planted them in his garden.
He was surprised when tiny blades shot
up through the ground. The corn grew
marvelously fast, and as it developed It
threw out new mysteries almost daily,
until to-day the stalks are Ten to twelve
feet in height aud 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,
palmllke leaves, The leaves are heavy
and very solid. resembling cactus leaf.
Some OF them are five feet long from
tip to tip. These are the only leaves
on the stalk. About two feet further
up are the ears of corn. Many stalks
bear six ears and none has fewer than
four ears. At this rate it is figured
that the average yield to the acre would
be about 250 bushels.
Above the ears the stalk continues
three or four feet and is topped with
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 in the ground.
While other corn was suffering on ac-
count of the drought this year the
prehistoric corn was green and healthy.
Naggy viii save all OF the yield this
year and plant 50 or go acres next year.
He has some of the stalks and corn on
exhibition and they are attracting much
attention.
H. J. Blacklidge, of Anderson, who
owns several farms north of that city,
also exhibits a freak in corn. y year
ago friend in Russia sent him pack
age Of seed and told him TO plant t.
The seeds were very nice and solid and
seemed to be superior TO the average
Indian corn. 1t was planted in a good
lowland section, and it 0utgrew s,l of
the surrounding corn. It was ab0u the
same height as the other corn. bu. was
a little heavier in the stalk. The ears
began to form and silk and every evo-
luton was about in line with that of
the other corn which surrounded The
small patch, except that there were
two ears on the new stalks TO one on the
old.
One day when the strange corn had
almost matured Blacklidge went out TO
gather a little Of it. He took hold Of a
well-formed ear and threw back the
husks. He was surprised to find instead
Of yellow grains of corn a series Of
smaller husLs where every grain should
be. He opened one Of these and found
it to be properly silked. Underneath it
lay second husk, also properly ST Eed,
and under it was the grain Of corn.
Blacllidge figures that the new corn
viii yield 125 bushels to the acre, and
that it is superior in dent to the other
corn. but he does not know how TO ham
die IL. Probably it will be fed through
shelter and then subjected to a fan
ming process. He announces that he
will plant several acres of it next year.
He cannot classify it with any OF the
known varieties.
A Scottsburg UInd) farmer who has
been experimenting for the last few
years claims 10 have secured a corn that
will run $50 bushels to the acre on the
Indiana knobs in the southern part
Of the state. If it viii grow TO that ex-
tent in that locality, it will run almost
double the number of bushels in the
better corn lands of the central and
northern parts Of the state.-Chicago
Record.