Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1904-08-04
NEW VOL. 39.---NO. 81
Historical Notes Concerning Corn.

In the United States at the present
time the word corn has a distinct
meaning, but in other countries it is
far otherwise. Thus in Scotland "corn"
often means oats; in England, wheat,
and in Northern Europe, rye. Ii We
90 further back into the centuries it
is seen that the word "corn" was
very general term ofgrain. Professor
Sargent, in bis interesting little book
Corn Plants" has written ut Is
said that Ruth coming TO Bethlehem
in the beginning of the barley hsr-
vest, asked to go into the field and
CLEAN ears of corn. But it was in
the time of wheat harvest that Samp-
son burned the standing corn. The
human statute of Moses-'Thou shalt
not muzzle The OK when he treadeth
out the corn-undoubtedly applies 70
all the grain plants harvested by the
Israeltes.
Corn. in the general meaning OF the
term, as hard, horny (corneous) grain
was known to civilized man Of the
Eastern Hemisphere from prehIstorl
time. But in the specific sense in
which we use the word 1t was con-
fined to the Western Hemisphere un-
til after the discovery OF this country
by Columbus, and was doubtless
grown by the inhabitants of the
Americas from very ancient date.
Professor Plumb writes that mounds
that were erected prior to the time Of
the American Indian, OF which be has
no tradition, that have been explored
in recent years have contained corn
cobs and charred kernels In the
caves occupied by the early Cliff Dwell
ers in the Southwestern States ears OF
corn have been frequently discovered.
In South America Darwin found on
the coast of Peru heads of maze, to-
gether with Is species OF recent sea
shells imbeded in beach which had
been appraised at least S5 feet above
the level of the sea. Ears of Indian
corn are occasionally found il vessels
placed in ancient Indian tombs or
mounds in Chile, Peru and Central
America
The early explorers of this country
found the Indians cultivating corn
from Canada to Florida They taught
the Purltans how to plant it and grow
It. In short, corn was leading crop
among the natives OF this continent
prior to the fifteenth century. The
original home OF the maize plant may
be satisfactorily inferred.
The Indians of Mexico have grown
the soft corn for centuries, and this is
of the race of grain bat ls found IN
the ancient mounds and does not cor
respond with the hard kinds grown
further north. DR.. Harshberger states
that "all the plants closely related to
maize are Mexican. 1t is an accepted
evolutionary principle that several
species of the same genus or genera OF
the same tribe, though dispersed TO
the most distant quarters Of the globe,
must originally have proceeded from
the same source, AZ they are descend
ed from the same progenitors. 1t Is
also obvious that the individuals Of
the same species, though now IN dis
tant regions, must have proceeded
from one spot, where their parents
were first produced, for it Is incredi'
bic that individuals identicallY the
same should have been produced from
parents specifically distinct. Apply
ing these principles to maize, we reach
the conclusion that maize was origi-
nally Mexican. The evidence to the
present date 1888 places the origi-
nal home of our American cereal
maize in Central Mexico D."
The same authority, in reply to
question concerning the origin Of
sweet corn, writes "The Erst sweet
corn in American cultivation was an
eight-rowed variety called papoon,
with a red cob, introduced TO the
region about Plymouth, Msss.' from
the Indians of the Susquehanna In
l779." This is date not far from
the mid Revolution days.