THE CEREAL FRUITS 



175 



I 



EMBRYO 



ENDOSPERM 



size; most familiar being the creamy yellow tooth-shaped and 

 flattened kernel with an indented end. The embryo is tucked into 

 one corner of the seed, endosperm occupying the remainder of 

 it (fig. 106). The embryo is rich in oil while the endosperm con- 

 tains chiefly carbohydrates. 



Maize requires less moisture than wheat, though there is 

 some difference in rainfall requirements of different varieties. 

 It is dependent upon consider- 

 able summer sunshine and 

 grows best in fertile river- 

 bottom soil. Thus maize 

 thrives in the Mississippi valley 

 "corn belt" states of Illinois, 

 Indiana, Missouri, Iowa, 

 Kansas and Nebraska. There 

 are only a few commonly culti- 

 vated types. Dent maize is the 

 most widely planted, its ker- 

 nels having a large and starchy 

 endosperm; it is the source of 

 the commercial grain as well 

 as most of the fodder and 

 ensilage used in the United 

 States. As a fodder plant maize 

 is ideal for livestock, the pork 

 industry alone using about 

 40% of the domestic output, 

 while cattle and horses are also fed upon it. It is said that 

 ten pounds of maize will make one pound of beef or two 

 pounds of pork. Swteet maize, a variety with sugary endo- 

 sperm, is capable of being grown in cooler areas than the dent 

 varieties; it is grown for table consumption and for canning, 

 chiefly in the northeastern states. Flint maize is a variety with 

 a hard outer endosperm region enclosing the softer endosperm 

 and the embryo. This matures early and hence is grown in New 

 England and other northern states which have a short growing 

 season. Pop maize is characterized by small oval hard grains 

 with tough coverings. This outer coat holds in the moisture 



Fig. 106. — In the maize kernel the 

 embryo is tucked in one corner and the 

 endosperm occupies the remainder of 

 the seed. 



