HISTORY OF MAIZE 275 



369. ^ alue to Colonists. — ]\Iaize was the salvation of many 

 of the early colonies, preventing the colonists and their stock 

 from starving. The tame grasses had not been introduced, 

 so that besides maize stover their stock had nothing but salt 

 marsh hay. 



The early settlers learned the cultivation of maize from the 

 Indians. The James River settlers, under the tuition of the 

 Indians, began to raise maize in 1608, and within three years 

 they appeared to have as many as thirty acres under cultivation. 

 The Pilgrims found it in cultivation by the Indians on their 

 arrival at Plymouth, and began its cultivation in 162 1, manur- 

 ing, as the Indians did, with fish. 



" According to the manner of the Indians we manured our ground with herrings. 

 or rather shads, which we have in great abundance and take with ease at our doors. 



"You may see in one to\\Tiship a hundred acres together set with these fish, 

 every acre taking a thousand of them, and an acre thus dressed will produce and 

 yield as much corn as three acres without fish." 



In the Jamestown settlement they planted pumpkins and melons 

 in the hill with the maize. 



370. Introduction into Eastern Continent. — Maize is pretty 

 certainly of American origin. It has been introduced into 

 Europe, Asia and Africa since the discovery of America. After 

 its introduction into the old continent it spread very rapidly 

 across northern Africa and southern Europe and across Asia 

 into China. The rapidity with which it spread gave rise to dis- 

 putes as to its origin and considerable confusion as to its name. 



IMaize has been known by the following curious names in 

 Europe: Turkish corn, Italian corn, Roman wheat, Sicilian 

 wheat, Indian wheat, Spanish wheat, Barbary wheat, Guinea 

 and Egyptian wheat. These names were given it in various 

 places on account of the country in which it was supposed to 

 have originated. They simply indicate the country from which 

 and through which maize was introduced. The names, with 

 the exception of Indian, are those of places bordering on the 

 Mediterranean Sea. This would seem to indicate that maize 



