The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-10-09
THE ORIGIN OF CORN.
First Discovered Among the in
dams 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 a mater
ial which they used for food, the
Spaniards took a curious interest in
their actions. This plant, which the
natives called "Mahiz," was wholly
unknown in Europe or any other
part of the old world. Afterwards
the Spaniards themselves cultivated
this plant for food calling it "maize,"
by which name it has since been
known in the botanical world. In
In this small way began what is now
the most important and most valu-
able crop in the civilized world.
Looked at from the standpoint of
the botanist, 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 oneSof 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 the
fact that no other grain or vegetable
has such difficulty in reproducing it.
| self unaided as maize; Left to itself
it is difficult to see how it could keep
alive. The grain being encased in a
thick and closs-ftting 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 left ungathered, the whole of the
fields in our mighty belt, would
spontaneously bring forth next seal
son a 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. It
is just possible that but for the In
dams, the valuable grain might. have
been lost entirely to man. It's only
chance of survival originally would
be in the tropics, where the first
grains that fell and became covered
would escape freezing and thus
sprout in the returning season for it's
propagation. S'% 'rr.i.
1t is a far cry from the little pat
ches on Guannahani island to the
cornfields now smiling over the Uni
ted States preparatory to a produc-
ton of 3, 100000, 900 bushels this STALL
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, tie train
would extend nearly 155, 900 miles,
betting the earth. six times with14, 900
miles of wagons to spare. Iowa alone
has produced a crop equal in value
to the annual output of gold, silver
and lead inthis 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 tits under.
| stood that an Increase of one ear in
every ten in the five principal corn
| states would mean an, addition of
$44, 600, 900 year to their wealth.
Though the. origin of corn is very an
cient, it's use on large scale is very
modern. Darwin, the great natural7
list, while travelling in Peru, found an
ear reposing in a metal vessel eighty
five feet below the present surface
of the soil. Others have been found.
with mummies in the tombs of the
Incas. The natives Of Mexico, long
before the conquest, worshipped a
goddess corresponding to the Greek
Ceres, and the method was for sun
virgins to sacrifice corn cakes in her
honor. The North American Indians
believed that corn:was q; direct gift
from the Great Spirit. This inspiring
belief was embodied in a poeticaF le-
gend, to the effect that a young war
rior fasting in the wilderness prayed
for gift for his people. when a spir-
it in the form of a beautiful young
man CARRIED in glistening green with
flowing plumes, descended in re-
Spouse and brought the grain of
grains as his offering.
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