Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-02-07
THE RACES OF CORN.

Indian corn has been in cultivation
by the native races Of America for an
indefinite period. 1t probably originat-
ed from n wild form SO elsewhere on the
Mexican plateau. Botonists usually
refer al our forms to one species, Yea
mays, with several well marked sub
species or races. There are five impor-
tant races of corn grown in the United
States on Il commercial scale:
/. Dent Corns.-A part of the starch
in the grain IS CT a close, hard texture.
This is called the horny endosperm and
is found along the sides of the kerrel,
while the softer portion, or starchy en-
dosperm is found in the center extend
ing to the summit. In drying the cen
ter shrinks more than the rest and
hence leaves dent at the apex of the
grain. Dent corns are the common
field varieties grown in the corn belt
and are almost the only kinds exported.
There are various colors, white, yellow
and notified Calico being the most
common. There are also red and blue
varieties. Three hundred and twenty
three varieties are described.
.. Sweet Corns.-These are chiefly
found il gardens, but are grown on
commercial scale for canning purposes,
ard so!,ic of the large sorts are grown
for fodder The first variety cultivated
was obtained from the Indians of New
England in 1IT9. In 1851 there were
10 varieties. Now there are G3. Corn
as vegetable is practically unknown
outside the United States.
8. Flint.-The horny endesperm en-
tirely surrounds the starchy, and hence
the grain is smooth at maturity. Color
various. Many varieties have eight
rows and hence are known as eight
rowed corn. Flint corn can lie grown
much farther north than the dent corn,
since it natures earlier; hence it is the
prevailing form in Canada and the
northern United States. Since it is the
common corn of New England it is of
ten called Yankee corn.
4. Popcorns.-These resemble the
flint cofns, but differ in.@the ability to
pop when heated This phenomenon
depends Upon the fact that the starch
Ism the form of horny endospern,
and the moisture present cannot easily
escape, but finally explodes, turning
the grain inside out Popcorn seems
to be the least modified from the orig
inal type. There are % varieties.
5. Soft Corns.-In these the starch
is all in the form of starchy endo-
sperm. Seem to have been common
among the Indians of the southwest.
Some of the blue squaw corns belong
to this race. Brazilian flour corn sold
by seedsmen is a soft corn. There is
no dent in these varieties.
Besides the above there is a pod corn
grown as a curiosity, in which each
kernel is inclosed in husk. and some
ornamental varieties derived from the
flint corn, grown for the striped or
barred leaves. The latter are usually
sold under the name of Zea japonica.
The varieties of corn are very varia-
bic in size, shape and other qualities
The late DR.. Sturtevant. an authority
on corn, said: "The height of the plant
in varieties and localities has been re-
ported from Is inches for the golden
Tom Thumb pop to 80 feet or more for
varieties in the West Indies and single
stalks in Tennessee at 221a feet.
have seen cars one inch long in the
pop class and 16 inches long in the dent
class. The rows in varieties may vary
from to "a or more and in individual
ears are reported from 4 to 4S. A hun
dred kernels of miniature pop weighed
46 grains; of Cuzco soft. 1881 grains.
A variety that ripens in one month is
mentioned from Paraguay. and seven
months is said to be required in some
southern countries"
The tables show that the average
composition of dent corn is: Protein,
1913 per cent; fat. per cent. Flint:
Protein, 10.5 per cent; fat. per cent
Sweet: Protein. ZIG per cent; fat. 81
per cent. Sweet corn is thus richer in
protein and fat and correspondingly
poorer in carbohydrates.
At the Kansas State Agricultural
college experiments are in progress to
increase the protein content of field
corn by crossing and selection. Any
increase in the protein will greatly ex-
tend its usefulness as a feed for stock.
"A. S. Hitchcock. Kansas