The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1907-10-09
The ORIGIN OF CORN.
First Discovered Among the in
dians by Columbus.


dians by Columbus.
1t Has Now Become One of the Great
Articles of Food in This Coun-
try.
When Columbus reached Cat Is.
land on that fateful day of 1892, he
found the poor savages cultivating a
plant that was new to the Spaniards,
Later. when they saw the islanders
gathering from the stocks mater.
ial which they used for food, the
Spaniards took a curious interest ir
their actions. This plant, which the
natives called 'Mahiz," was wholly
unknown in Europe or any other
part Of the old world. Aftei wards
the Spaniards themselves cultivated
this plant for food calling it maize, .
by which name it has since beer
known in the botanical world. Ir
In this small way began what is now
the most important and most valu.
able crop in the civilized world
Looked ct from the standpoint OF
the botanisC, a strange fact is dis,
closed in considering the habits as
we'll as the habitat of this celebrat.
ed cereal. It was indigenous to the
two Americas, but at the time of the
conquest had made little progress
toward the wonderful development
it was subsequently to attain. The In.
dian tribet in various sections, from
the Canadas to Patagonia were found
to be acquainted with its merits and
depended upon it as one Of their
chief vegetable foods. They cultivat,
ed it in little patches, planting it in
a hole in the ground made with a
stick and from it made certain dishes
afterward famous as "succotash," !"
'hominy" and ''hoecake."
What is especially noticeable is thu
fact that no other grain or vegetable
has such difficulty in reproducing it.
self unaided as maize. Left to itself
tits difficult to see how it could keep
alive. The grain being encased in a
thick and closs-fitting shuck, and
growing closely to the cob, can not
reproduce unless in falling it becom.
shattered and covered. Birds and
other animals might help some in
this process, butnot enough to great
ly extend the area Of its productive,
ty. The aid Of man is needed, not
only to plant, but to cultivate the
corn, and it is questionable whether,
if LETT ungathered, the whole Of the
fields in our mighty belt, would
spontaneously bring forth next sea-
son single ear. Fortunately, the
savages in a limited way assisted this
wonderful plant sufficiently to keep
it alive in many places until the white
man came with his hoe and plow to
do the work on an extensive scale. 1t
is just possible that but for the In
dians, the valuable grain might have
been lost entirely to man. Its only
chance of survival originally would
be in the tropics, where the first
grains that fell and became covered
would escape freezing and thus
sproutin the returning season for its
propagation.
1t is a far cry from the little pat
ches on Guannahani island to the
cornfelds now smiling over the Uni
ted States preparatory to a produc-
ton of 5000, 900, 900 bushels this fall.
These fields occupy an area great
er in extent than the German EN-
pire. Though every state and terri
tory in the Union produces corn, the
principal crop comes from Indiana,
Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas and
Nebraska, which constitute the far
famous corn belt" 1t is estimated
that if all the corn produced in One
year in these six states were shelled
and loaded in wagons, the train
would extend nearly 5000 miles,
betting the earth six times with 4, 900
miles of wagons 10 spare. Iowa alone
has produced crop equal irs value
to the annual output Of gold, silver
and lead in this whole country, or
more than the net earnings Of all
the national banks. Our farmers may
understand what is meant by improv-
ed corn culture, when it is under
stood that an Increase 9. O..- ear in
every ten in the five princl.2 corn
states would mean an addit.on of
s44 ,000,0 a year to their wealth.
Though the origin of corn is very an
Gent, its use on a large scale is very
modern. Darwin, the great natural
st, while travelling in Peru, found an
ear reposing in a metal vessel eighty
i've feet below the present surface
# the soil. Others nave been found
With mummies in the tombs of the
meas. The natives Of Mexico, long
before the conquest, worshipped a
goddess corresponding to the Greek
Ceres, and the method was for sun
yirgius to sacrifice corn cakes in her
lonor. The North American Indians
believed that corn was a direct gift
rom the Great Spirit. This inspiring
'elief was embodied in a poetical le-
send, 70 the effect that a young war
.lor fasting in the wilderness prayed
or gift for his people. when spir-
in the form of beautiful young
nan garbed in glistening green with
lowing plumes, descended in re-
ponse and brought the grain of
,rains as his offering.
HIGH HANDED OUTRAGE.