BREEDING OF VEGETABLES 



235 



sweet corn, tomato, bean, sweet potato, pumpkin, squash, and 

 pepper. Nearly all the other cultivated vegetables of temperate 

 climates are indigenous to Europe or Asia. 



Sweet corn, which is one of the most highly prized foods 

 grown in America, is probably of recent origin. In Bailey's 

 (1900) Cyclopedia of American Agriculture, Volume 2, page 

 402, the following statement occurs: 



"The first sweet corn cultivated in America was derived from the 

 Susquehanna Indians in 1779 by Captain Richard Begnall, who accom- 

 panied General Sullivan on his expedition to subdue the Six Nations." 



How long Zea mays saccharata had been under cultivation is 

 TABLE L1X. ORIGIN AND ANTIQUITY OP SOME VEGETABLES 



A = Species cultivated more than 4,000 years. 



B = Species cultivated more than 2,000 years. 



C = Species cultivated less than 2,000 years. 



American species: 



D = Cultivation ancient in America. 



E = Cultivation before discovery of America, but not showing signs of great antiquity. 



