246 DOMESTICATED ANIMALS AND PLANTS 



From all the facts Candolle draws this interesting inference : 



" 1. That the barleys with four and six rows were derived 

 from H. disticJion, — the two-rowed sort, in prehistoric agri- 

 culture anterior to that of the ancient Egyptians who built 

 the monuments. 



"2. That barleys with six and four ranks were species formerly 

 wild, extinct since the historical epoch." l 



* Indian corn (Zea mays). This plant is often and most properly 

 called maize in written descriptions, because the word " corn " 

 is a general term for grain food. Thus "corn" in Bible times un- 

 doubtedly meant wheat, as it does in England to-day, or, at 

 most, it might have included barley, which, as we now know, 

 was a common grain among the Egyptians. With us, however, 

 the term " corn " is unalterably associated with the maize plant, 

 and we shall continue to follow the example of the New World 

 and apply this term to our most important grain crop. 



By any count, all things considered, Indian corn is the most 

 important grain plant of the world, especially as food for 

 domestic animals. It has never been a favorite for the white 

 man, partly because it is inferior to wheat and partly because it 

 is so much used for animals. 2 



This is the only one of our grain plants that did not come to 

 us from the Old World. Like tobacco, potatoes, and the turkey, 

 it is truly an American product. When the Spaniards discovered 

 South America they found the Aztecs raising this crop freely, 

 and when our forefathers landed in New England the Indians 

 brought them corn to ward off starvation. 



The mystery of it all is, where they got it, for nowhere on 

 the continent or in the world is any wild plant found growing 

 that might by any stretch of the imagination be called the 



1 " Origin of Cultivated Plants," p. 370. 



2 It seems to be a general principle that man will not freely eat the same 

 food that he gives his animals. We look upon corn as cattle and pig food, 

 and, while not unfit for human diet, yet it is not and will never become a favor- 

 ite. We have imported the cowpea from Asia, where it is used for human food, 

 but we feed it to cattle and do not think of eating it ourselves. 



