AMEKICAN EXPORT CORN (mAIZE) IN EUROPE. 37 



THE COLOR AND APPEARANCE OF CORN. 



As a general statement it may be said that with respect to the size 

 of kernel the corn of most other countries nsiially found upon the 

 markets of Europe is about two-thirds the size of the American corn, 

 is generally round in shape, flinty in character, and does not differ 

 materially in appearance from the flint corn grown in some of the 

 New Kngland and i\iiddle States. 



Hence the commercial designation of " Round maize." The term 

 "Flat maize" applies largely to American corn, although consider- 

 able quantities of corn known as "flat maize" are received from Rou- 

 mania and adjacent territory, but this corn does not differ materially, 

 in size and appearance at least, from the round maize. Some small 

 shipments of entirely white corn and of entirely yellow corn have of 

 late been received in Europe from South Africa which in size, shape, 

 and appearance tally almost exactly with some varieties of American 

 corn. 



The color of the corn from all countries except the United States is 

 either almost entirely yehow or entirely white. Generally the corn 

 of the other countries found on the markets of Europe is yellow corn 

 of various shades and usually has a bright, fresh appearance, while 

 American corn is mostly mixed, white, yellow, and other colors, and 

 because of early shelling, while the corn contains high percentages of 

 moisture, and because of much rough handling through elevators, etc., 

 usually presents a rather dull and comparatively inferior appearance. 

 When not purchased for specific purposes as white corn, there is a 

 marked preference in Europe for bright-yellow corn, and this prefer- 

 ence undoubtedly militates at times and to some extent against the 

 sale of American corn in some European grain markets. It there- 

 fore seems that it would benefit the American export corn trade if 

 more attention was paid to the color of the corn exported. 



EUROPEAN COMPLAINTS CONSERVATIVE. 



During these investigations it was found that the European com- 

 plaints of dehveries of American corn were conservative, at least in 

 numbers, as several cargoes were known to have been delivered in 

 Europe in a more or less damaged condition and upon which cargoes 

 no complaints were made because of the conditions of the contracts 

 under wliich the purchases were made and the apparent uselessness of 

 making complaints. The delivery abroad of corn and other grain 

 shipments in bad condition, as showTi, has surely had a detrimental 

 effect upon the export grain trade of the United States and has pro- 

 duced a condition which under the present trade methods precludes 

 fair treatment on its merits of American corn in pAiropc, a condition 

 that is not desirable at times when the United States has considerable 



[Cir. 55] 



