TRANSACTIONS OF WARSAW HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 329 



this country, w-hich is good evidence of its origin. It was well understood 

 that corn, as well as the so-called Irish potato, the tobacco plant, and 

 many other valuable plants, were of American origin. 



Mr. Whitaker said he could cite abundance of evidence of the 

 general cultivation of corn among the Indians hundreds of years ago. 



Dr. Warner said he was well satisfied of its origin ; all authority 

 credits it to America. He did not believe in the idea of spontaneous 

 production, and thought the corn discovered by Von Humboldt had the 

 characteristics of a small flint corn. 



Mr. Spitz believed that corn was cultivated in America thousands 

 of years ago, even before the flood, as he had found, in working a stone 

 quarry near La Prairie, in Adams county. Ills., both stalks and ears of 

 corn, of full size and perfect in appearance, in a petrified condition and 

 imbedded in a strata of sandstone four feet in thickness, and that it was 

 just like our Indian corn. 



Dr. Hollowbush — That is proof enough of its antiquity. 

 Mr. Whitaker thought it might be of comparatively recent origin, 

 as stone was still in rapid process of formation. 



Dr. Warner thought sandstone was now forming in some instances ; 

 that near the mouths of great rivers, owing to the great pressure of water, 

 it would only require volcanic action to produce the formation of sand- 

 stone. 



A running discussion ensued in regard to dates, periods, mound 

 builders, etc., in which several other members participated. From which 

 we conclude that corn was in cultivation among the nations before the 

 discovery of America ; that it is now cultivated in most parts of the civil- 

 ized world, where the climate will suit, and that its value to the human 

 family is almost beyond computation. 



The usual variety of subjects were discussed at the meeting, but we 

 have space for only a few of the best papers and suggestions. 



FEBRUARY MEETING. 



Society met at the office of Dr. J. W. Hollowbush, in Warsaw. 



All the officers of the Society were present, horticultural friends for 

 miles in the country were in attendance, and members were out in full 

 force. Indeed, we have seldom had a more satisfactory meeting. 



