INDIAN CORN. ^ 39 



According to the researches of Dr. Charles T. Jack- 

 son, of Boston, who stands preminent as a chemist, 

 Indian corn, in general, is composed of variable propor- 

 tions of starch, dextrine, gum or mucilage, sugar, 

 gluten, oil, the phosphates of lime and magnesia, with 

 a little phosphoric acid, silica, potash, and oxide of 

 iron. Some varieties, however, are nearly or quite 

 destitute of gluten, oil, or the salts of iron. 



Among the curious results of Dr. Jackson's experi- 

 ments, he proved that the relative proportions of phos- 

 phates in grain, depend on the assimilating power of 

 each species, or variety ; for an ear of corn having been 

 selected, which had on it two different kinds, namely, 

 the Tuscarora and the sweet corn, more than double 

 the amount of phosphates were obtained from the latter 

 than from the former, notwithstanding the kernels 

 came from the same ear, grew side by side from the 

 same sap, and were derived from the same soil. Hence 

 it may be inferred that a crop of sweet corn will sooner 

 exhaust a soil of its phosphates than any other variety, 

 a"nd if a soil be deficient in these materials, more must 

 be added to produce it in perfection. Some interesting 

 facts were also noticed by him in the variable propor- 

 tions of phosphates in different varieties of the same 

 species of several kinds of grain, and a greater prepon- 

 derance of them was observed in Indan corn, than in 

 the smaller grains, as barley, oats, wheat, &c. a fact 

 which seems to explain their peculiar properties as food 

 for animals ; for the more highly phosphatic grains 

 appear to be more likely to surcharge the system of 

 adult animals with bony matter, often producing con- 

 cretions of phosphate of lime, like those resulting 

 from gout. It is conjectured that the stiffness of the 

 joints and lameness of the feet, common in horses, 

 which have been fed to freely with maize, is caused by 

 the preponderance of the phosphates. Granting this 

 to be true, young animals cannot fail to derive more 

 osseous matter from corn than from any other kind of 

 grain. 



The horny or flinty portions of corn, when viewed in 



