CORN 69 



rarely raise it for the purpose of feeding the grain to cattle 

 and hogs. Sweet corn has a larger per cent, of protein and 

 fat than other kinds of corn. There are sixty-three or more 

 varieties. 



Pop-corn is raised almost entirely for selling to persons who 

 make cracker-jack and pop-corn. Neither the ears nor the 

 stalks grow very large. The kernels are always quite hard 

 and flinty. The bursting open when popped is said to be due 

 to the explosion of the moisture in the seed when heated. 

 Some varieties of pop-corn have quite sharp-pointed kernels; 

 these are called the rice varieties. Others have quite smooth 

 and blunt-pointed kernels; these are called flint or pearl 

 varieties. There are twenty-five or more varieties. 



Pod corn has each kernel enclosed in a chaff somewhat like 

 a kernel of wheat, so that when the husk is removed from the 

 ear the kernels are still covered. Pod corn is raised only as a 

 curiosity. 



Soft corn has kernels resembling the flint kernels, but they 

 are not nearly so hard. The kernels are soft and floury inside. 

 Soft corn is raised somewhat in the south-western states and 

 in Mexico. Brazilian flour-corn is a soft corn. 



The size of the ear and stalk of corn is quite variable, de- 

 pending upon variety and climate. Dr. Sturtevant * speaks 

 of a variety in which the stalks grow only about 18 inches tall, 

 while in the West Indies stalks sometimes grow as high as 

 30 feet. He also speaks of having seen ears of pop-corn only 

 an inch long and ears of dent corn sixteen inches long. The 

 flint varieties usually have eight or twelve rows of kernels to 

 an ear; the dent varieties usually have from sixteen to twenty- 



* See 15th Biennial Report of Kansas State Board of Agriculture, 

 p. 14. 



