EXAMEfATION^ OF DEFFZBENT VAEIETIIS OF :MAIZE. 429 



In Porcher's " Kesources of Southern Fields and Forests," he say? : 



In the first place it has been satisfactorily proved that sugar of an excellent 

 qnalitr. suitable for common use without refining, may be made from the stalks 

 of maize. 



Again : 



The sweetness of the cornstalk is a matter of universal observation. Oar 

 forefathers, in the Revolntionary struggle, resorted to it as a means to furnish a, 

 substitnte for West India sn^ar. 



Thaer, in his "Principles of Agriculture" (1844), says: 

 The nse of unripe maize for the manufacture of sugar has lately been again 

 recommended, on the ground that maize is better adapted for this purpose than 

 beet root. I have long been of the opinion, he adds, that of all plants which 

 can be raised in this country, maize is best suited to the purpose in question; 

 the syrup extracted from it is, before crystallization, decidedly superior to that 

 of beet root. 



I have been recently informed that, over thirty years ago, there was 

 a factory in the south of France which produced large quantities of 

 excellent sugar from the stalks of maize, but the rapid development 

 of the beet sugar industry caused this factory to decline, and their 

 practical results have been almost forgotten. Also, about 1844, a cer- 

 tain judge, of Williston, Vermont, prtxluced a fair quality of syrup 

 from cornstalks ; but his experiments, like those of s<3 many others, 

 caused only a temporary and local excitement, which speedily died 

 away. The same is true as regards the sorghums. 



EXAiirSATIOX OF DIFFERENT- VARIETIES OF MAIZE. 



For the purpose of a thorough investigation of this matter, the au- 

 thor, as chemist of the Department of Agriculture, at Washington, 

 planted several of the more common varieties of maize, and cultivated 

 them according to the general method adopted when the grain is the 

 object. The several varieties were subjected to daily examination 

 during the season, in a manner identical with that employed in the 

 examination of the sorghum, as described on page 185. 

 The varieties of maize planted were as follows : 



Egyptian Sugar Corn. 



Lindsay's Horse Tooth. 



Blount's Prolific. 



Improved Prolific Bread. 



Broad While Flat Dent. 



Long Narrow White Dent. 



Chester County Mammoth- 



lS-row<=d Yellow Dent. 



Stowell's Evergreen. 



Improved Prolific. 



Sandford. 



Earlv Minnesota Dent. 



