522 ; 
Per contra,to this estimate of climate relations, I would call 
attention to the statement in my Note X. regarding the Mexican — 
Indian corn and the Zea canina. fe 
It is an interesting fact, which would not have been predictad 
by botanists, that in and about Farmington, Maine, where the a 
Stowell Evergreen sweet does not ripen its seed, there isalarge 
canning industry, and that the State of Maine cans more sweet vm 
corn than any other one State, amounting to 614,894 cases in oe 
1891. 
XV. - 
The application of hot water to starch causes it to become — : 
plastic. This fact seems to underlie the explanation of the pop- 
ping of corn. Pop corn contains starch granules arranged within 
a tough endosperm. When heat is applied the starch becomes _ 3 
plastic, and the water furnishes steam which soon explodes the © 
kernel, and, turning it inside out and expanding the starch, forms | 
a large fluffy snow-white mass. It is only the corneous matter of 
the pop corn that furnishes the expanded mass of popped corn. 
When, as is sometimes the case, a small spot of starchy endo- 
sperm occupies the lower portion of the kernel, this remains un- 
changed or simply toasted. Flint corn does not pop becuuse its 
corneous endosperm is too thin. Upon the application of heat it 
does not evert, but only spits. From pop corn, therefore, we gain 
popped corn; from flint corn simply toasted corn of parched 
corn. Sere corn and soft corn simply toast, and , all the dent 
corns I have tried simply toast or spit. 
When we consider the delicate quality of popped corn and 
handsome appearance, as also its large consumption, both in 
popped state and as candied, it is a matter of surprise how in 
quent is the mention of it in books or other publications. Harsh 
berger says that Dr. Franklin mentions an Indian preparation 
“A vessel of sand was heated. The corn was then mixed 
this sand and slowly heated until the grain burst. It was 
_ taken out and ground to a fine powder, which kept fresh 
: number of years, Héckewelder calls this preparation psi ae 
can.” Romans, in his «Natural History of Florida,” wri 3 
¢ natives “ “parch 2 = cca pound it, esige. this pee segs 
