330 MINNESOTA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



seem, Minnesota corn stands better and brings a better price away 

 from home than at home. 



The varieties of corn most favored in this st^te are Early Crosby 

 and Evergreen. The former is the variety used in Maine and has 

 been adopted here because it is ready for the can about the middle 

 of August, thus giving the factory an early start and a long season. 

 The Evergreen does not mature until September first. The Crosby 

 is a fine, white, delicate-flavored, true sweet corn, but does not show- 

 up so well in the ear, owing to its big, broad grains. The ear is 

 small, and it is not a very heavy cropper, yielding about two or three 

 tons per acre in the husk. On very rich bottoms, however, the ear 

 lengthens, and the yield sometimes reaches four tons per acre in 

 the husk. Canning factories pay $5.50 per ton for this variety and^ 

 estimating the value of sweet corn fodder, which is preferred to 

 any other for cows, the return per acre is usually very satisfactory 

 to the farmer. The proof of this is that factories have no trouble 

 getting all the acreage they want. The Evergreen has a much 

 larger ear, sometimes too large to go through our cutters. The 

 evergreen seems to grow larger ears in this state than in the corn- 

 growing section of the south. Why this should be so I do not under- 

 stand. If often yields five tons per acre, and I have known of some 

 exceeding six tons. No wonder then the farmers like it. Factories 

 are compelled to require growers to furnish part Crosby, or they 

 would grow all Evergreen. 



A variety now coming into use here is the Country Gentleman. 

 It is the finest of all varieties for canning and brings the canner from 

 two and a half to five cents per dozen more than the others. But 

 it is very late and rubs the frost line too close to become popular. 

 Neither does it yield so well as the Evergreen. The canner pays 

 for it $7.00 per ton, and it is worth the cost. The ear is small, but 

 the cob is relatively smaller. The grain is spike-like and irregularly 

 placed on the cob. For this reason it is sometimes called Shoe Peg, 

 by which name it is known in Maryland, where it originated and is 

 generally used. 



Old Colony and Hickoks are varieties similar to the Evergreen, 

 not quite so prolific but usually preferred as to quality. They, how- 

 ever, are not well known and are therefore not widely used. They 

 are between the Crosby and the Evergreen as to maturity. Some 

 canners have used the Peep o' Day to get an early start, but while 

 its quality is good its slow habit of growth and small ear make it 

 undesirable to the grower. This completes the canner's list of vari- 

 eties suitable to this vicinity. 



