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fifteen to seventeen per cent., and that new corn or meal are quite likely to contain as much 

 as twenty or twenty-one per cent, of water. It will &quot;be readily seen, therefore, that it is a 

 matter of some importance to the farmer, in large transactions, whether corn and corn-meal 

 be bought in a slightly, or thoroughly cured state. There is quite a difference between new 

 and old corn in the amount of moisture contained, as will be seen by the analyses previously 

 given, and which, if known, is not always appreciated. 



Varieties. There is no other of the cereals which presents so many varieties as corn 

 or maize, although there are comparatively but few which are distinct in general cultivation. 

 But little effort was formerly made to keep the different kinds pure; more care, is, however, 

 being exercised within a few years in this respect than formerly, and as new varieties are 

 constantly being introduced and tested, the merits of the leading ones will doubtless soon be 

 more extensively appreciated, resulting in the more general practice of pure-bred varieties 

 of this grain. The height attained by the plant varies, according to soil and kind, from that 

 of the little shrubby stalk of three feet, to the beautiful and luxuriant growth of eighteen, 

 while in color and form, we have white, yellow, red, striated, brown, black, purple, blue, etc., 

 either in tiny compact ears with small, flat grains, or with rounded little kernels closely 

 wedged and resembling grains of rice, and very appropriately called rice-corn, or all the inter 

 mediate varieties between these and the magnificently-formed proportions of ear and kernel 

 which characterize that produced by some of the Western States, where it attains, in size, 

 its most perfect development. Some of the cobs are red, others white, irrespective of the 

 color of the grain, while the ears vary in length from one inch to fifteen inches or more, with 

 proportionate variance in diameter and size of grain. 



In many of the corn-growing sections, the only recognized distinction is in the color of 

 the grain, &quot;white corn&quot; or &quot;yellow corn,&quot; according to the color of the kernel, being the 

 only distinguishing terms in use to designate the kinds generally cultivated. Although the 

 lower types hybridize more readily than the more valuable, improved varieties, still the latter 

 are so liable to mix with different kinds grown in their vicinity, and also adapt themselves 

 to different soils and climates, varying to a certain extent with almost every degree of lati 

 tude and longitude, that it is somewhat difficult to retain the original type unmixed and 

 unchanged. 



As an instance of the changes produced by climate, when some of the small varieties 

 which ripen early in the extreme Northern States are cultivated a few years in the Southern, 

 where the summers are so much longer than at the North, they will gradually change, by 

 ripening later, and with a much larger growth of ear and kernel. This change goes on 

 from year to year, until the plant has perfectly adapted itself to its new location, where it 

 remains a fixed variety, unless it should be moved again North, when it will gradually 

 assume its former type. 



The small &quot;flint&quot; corn which has from eight to twelve rows is, as a general rule, found 

 cultivated mostly in the New England States, and the northern portion of New York, as well 

 as that of one or two of the most northern of the Western States, these being sections where 

 it is necessary to cultivate the early-ripening kinds, while in the South and most southerly 

 of the Western States the &quot; dent &quot; or &quot; gourd-seed &quot; varieties are at present more extensively 

 grown than any other. 



Among the varieties of the &quot;flint &quot; that are very popular and generally considered among 

 the best are the &quot;Holden,&quot; which is a small eight-rowed sort, and quite productive, the 

 Yellow Canada, of similar type, Kingsbury s Excelsior, an early twelve-rowed kind of larger 

 growth than either of the preceding, and the Early Compton, a fine and prolific variety, 

 which is a seedling from the Button, and resembles it somewhat in appearance. The kernels 

 are of medium size and bright yellow; ears eight-rowed and quite long; ripens early. 

 Besides these, we have the well-known New England Golden, the White Flint, Early Button, 



