March 3, 1870. J 



JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENEK. 



TABLE MAIZE. 



^^ EELING greatly interested in spreading this 

 very useful autumn vegetable, and a certain 

 responsibility always attaching itself to the 

 first promoter of such matters, I take this 

 occasion to report on two seasons' experience. 

 As the last two years differed so considerably, 

 it is fair to assume that some knowledge has 

 been obtained both as to the right method of 

 culture for our climate, and also as to the 

 most suitable of the twenty varieties intro- 

 duced. Certainly the popularity of Maize for table life 

 is increasing, for spontaneous notices of it have appeared 

 in several leading journals besides those devoted to horti- 

 culture. 



At first it was attempted to spread the seeds among 

 friends, but these took so languid an interest in it that I 

 sent the rest to Messrs. Barr & Sugden. I mention this 

 here, for the number of letters sent to me since the notices 

 abovementioned appeared required this relief, and a few 

 seasons will decide as to the value of Maize now. 



In order to secure a fair chance for this very important 

 table vegetable, let me state the results of our own trials 

 of it. In 1808, which was an exceptionally warm year, the 

 cobs were very large and line, but the dry season and my 

 own inexperience of its culture, which comprises attention 

 to water supply at such times, was perilous to its success. 

 In 1809 the plants — from seeds sown without bottom heat 

 in boxes under glass early in April — were planted out at 

 the end of the month, being then about inches high. 

 This proved to be, even in our island, too early a date, for 

 the cold nights of May turned the plants yellow, and they 

 made little progress. About the middle of April some 

 rows were sown in the open garden ground, and they 

 took time to grow, became taller than the first eventually, 

 but did not, as the year proved so cloudy and stormy, 

 ripen their seeds so thoroughly as was desirable. Seeing 

 this, we selected them for table use in a green state during 

 the whole of October, and they were in sufficient number 

 to supply manv friends. Later I obtained through the 

 Editors of the Gardeners < 'hronicle some Ten-weeks Maize 

 from Boston, which was sown early in May. Mr. Clarke, 

 of Hampstead, who has made numerous experiments by 

 mutilating the male flowers, so as to increase the quantity 

 of the whole crop, sent me some seed from mutilated 

 plants, and also some very curious hybrids from Pau, 

 grown in Yorkshire by the Rev. J. D. Horner. Two other 

 varieties of Ten-weeks Maize from Covent Garden, and 

 some splendid common yellow Maize from Algiers, made 

 up, with my twenty new varieties from all parts of America, 

 a collection for essay such as had never previously been 

 brought together in England. 



The season of 1869 proved most trying to the success 

 of Maize, being here extremely cold in the spring, gene- 

 rally sunless in the summer, and stormy in the autumn. 

 My plants were subjected to an exceptional trial ; for, 

 having been staked insecurely, or rather at too low a 

 height, on September 12th, when at their full height, they 



No. 466.— Vol. XVIII., New Series. 



were exposed to a hurricane of 55 lbs. pressure to the 

 square foot, being a force of wind unknown to English 

 cultivators, who have other difficulties to meet, no- doubt ; 

 though, as I write, the island is covered with snow 9 feet 

 deep in the drifts, with a gale of cutting wind from the 

 north-east, and my thermometer (much exposed, regis- 

 tered 10 c of frost on the 12th. Wind is. iiowever. very 

 hurtful to Maize, for my plants were prostrated, and many 

 injured, but being still rooted they were raised up, and 

 staked afresh, and with every leaf scorched and torn, they 

 still ripened their seeds. After tliis no one can say Maize 

 will not succeed. 



It would be a pity if isolated failures, caused generally 

 by ignorance or neglect, should prejudice the minds of 

 any ; for the introduction of this long-known and most 

 nutritious foreign vegetable ought to be aided generally. 

 I should imagine, if the plants were well forwarded in 

 April under glass, and hardened a little afterwards, that 

 during May, whenever the spring frosts were no longer 

 very dangerous, would be a fair time to plant them out. 

 The seeds have also now had two seasons of acclimatation. 

 The plants require a very rich soil and moisture during 

 their chief period of growth in July and August, but the 

 culture is as easy as that of any other vegetable. They 

 are grown generally in rows at, say, 15 inches from plant 

 to plant. Last season the blue varieties showed a dispo- 

 sition to disappear, and some pure white kinds to become 

 more yellow. The red'varieties remained as usual. Some 

 small, extremely beautiful purple sorts were not so suc- 

 cessful, but these are not so valuable from their size or 

 delicacy as the large pure white from Georgia. The 

 mutilated seeds certainly produced more cobs per plant, 

 which was itself sensibly shorter and better adapted for 

 windy localities. The Ten- weeks Maize was, of course, 

 ripe before the rest, but the cobs were small, though nume- 

 rous. On the whole it is the large white, pink, and pale 

 yellow sorts which I prefer for table use. I am told that 

 in Canada the red cobs entitle the finder to the privileges 

 accorded to the Mistletoe ; perhaps this might render 

 them the most popular. The well-known " pop corn " of 

 the confectioners is very pretty in the cob, and explodes 

 into quaint shapes like melted lead in water, and is always 

 a favourite with children. These last, it may here be 

 said, appear to be amazingly fond of " green corn,'' and we 

 know that the youthful palate is not that indiscriminate 

 approver some consider it to be. 



No one would believe the difficulties experienced in 

 obtaining information as to a system of culture which 

 would suit our climate, but perhaps the one point where 

 I was left to decide for myself was the proper moment to 

 use the green cobs, and the varying time to cook them. 

 By groping, however, carefully at the extremes, we soon 

 arrived at the knowledge of the size and condition we 

 liked best. It is when the grains are about as large and 

 as hard as a full-grown Marrowfat Pea. Before this 

 period they can be taken of course, but are then more 

 tasteless, and require less boiling : thirty minutes we found 

 to be about the time. Then, with fresh butter spread over 

 them and a little pepper, they were served up, genei'ally 



No. 1118.— Vol. XLIII., Olb Seetes. 



