The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-05-05
THE CORN CROP OF THE WORLD

ond among all corn-grOwing coun
tries in point of acreage. The pro
duction (although the tortilla, fooc
made from parched corn, constitutes
the chief subsistence of the masses
is insufficient for domestic needs
and several million bushels annually
are imported from the United States
In Argentina corn culture has in re-
cent years made great strides. From
100000 acres in 1900 paintings
have been rapidly extended and a
recent estimate of the Argentine de-
partment of agriculture puts the
land seeded for the crop maturing
in the spring of 1914 at 1O,250,OOO
acres. A distinctive feature of corn
growing in Argentina is that the bulk
of the crop is raised for export.
Pre-eminently a pastoral country
the vast fields of alfalfa and a mild
climate that permits grazing in a
great part of the pastoral zone prac-
tically the year around minimize the
demand for corn as an animal food;
considerably less than 100000, 200
bushels meets annual domestic re-
quirements for all purposes. AS dur
ing the past two years the produc-
ton has amounted respectively to
.296, 100000 and 1877, 100000 bush
els, Argentina has figured as the
most important single source Of sup
ply for the great importing nations
of Europe Exports to all countries
out of the banner crop of 1872
amounted to 19O,O0O,000 bushels. If
the present rate of increase in culture
be maintained the republic would
doubtless be in a situation eventually
to supply single-handed the entire
import demand of all European
states. Much of the Argentine corn
is of the flint variety.
In the Eastern Hemisphere.
In the eastern hemisphere the
principal maize growing regions are
southern Europe, Asia, the Mediter-
ranean countries of Africa and the
Union of South Africa. In southern
Europe the crop is grown for the
grain on an expanse of territory eX-
tending from west TO east across the
entire continent and reaching north
ward from the Mediterranean and
Black seas to ATTITUDES including
Switzerland and a small part OF
southern Germany. The value OF
the luxuriant semi-tropical foliage of
the plant has, moreover, extended its
cultivation for fodder into countries
where the seasons of warm sunshine
are too short for the grain to mature,
and hence maize is grown for forage
20 a greater or less extent in many
countries of northern Europe, even
as far north as Scotland. In southern
Europe the crop is cultivated for
grain on an aggregate of about 30
100000 acres, the total annual pro-
duction usually ranging between
6OO,O0O,00O and 100000 BUSH
els The variety as raised is for the
most part the small grained yellow
flint, designated by English-speaking
people as round maze" in distinct
ion from the flat or large grained
dent variety, consisting of white and
yellow mixed, which reaches Euro
pean markets from the United States.
In Portugal corn, known in the YER
nacular as milho, is cultivated on a
much larger scale than any other ce-
real and constitutes, as among other
uses, the chief food of the peasant
class. Spain and France have each
over a million acres under maize.
Concentrated in the northern part OF
the former country and southern part
Of the latter there are extensive dis
tricts where it is the chief grain Gull
tivated and the principal reliance OF
the peasants for human food. Grano-
turco, the Italian name for corn, is
grown annually in Italy on an extent
of about 100000 acres, and in two
provinces, Lombardy and Venetia, on
q somewhat more extensive scale than
is wheat; polenta, a dish prepared
from corn, is in parts of the kingdom
the staff of life of the masses. Up
ward of a million bushels are raised
annually in Greece, and in 1910 the
annual output of European Turkey
was officially returned at 100000
bushels. Corn culture in Europe
however, Is largely NClA dl1AOO IL
group Of countries comprising Aus
tria-Hungary, Servia, Roumania, Bull
garia and in the southern govern
ments of Russia. In this territory
upward of 2O,OOO,000 acres are
planted annually and the normal
yield is approximately 5O0,OOO,OOC
! bushels.
Has Important Position.
The important position the cror
occupies in the agriculture of these
countries is indicated by the fact that
in Hungary proper, the principal corn
growing country of Europe, and IL
Bulgaria the acreage is second only
to that of wheat, while in ROulnania
where the grain is known as "por-
umb," and in Servia, where it is call
ed "cucurza,' it is more extensive
than that of any other cereal. Elk
cepting Austria-Hungary, whose an
nual production is a few million
i bushels short of domestic require
ments, corn is grown in the rest OF
this territory in surplus quantities
Aggregate exports usually ranging
between 100000 and S0,0OO,O OO
bushels a year are made from Rou'
mania, Bulgaria, Servia and Russia
E1