MAIZK. 



423 



full milk and just about to turn bo dough. Outside indications arc when 

 the ear is plump, the silk changing from brown to Mack in colour, and the 

 tassel brown or changing from brown to white. 



A- sweet corn rapidly loses its flavour after picking, especially in hot 

 weather, it is advisable to leave the harvesting until as late as possible before 

 marketing, cooking or canning ; a few hours makes an appreciable difference 

 in the quality. 



As a rule, the late varieties, like Stowell's Evergreen, Country Gentleman, 

 and White Evergreen give the largest and the greatest percentage of market- 

 able ears, but some of the early varieties like Golden Bantam and White 

 Cory are suitable for the home garden on account of their excellent flavour. 



A fair yield is from 300 to 500 dozen marketable ears per acre, and the. 

 market price is usually about 3s. per half bushel case or crate, which generally 

 holds just over two dozen cobs. 



In saving seed the corn should be allowed to thoroughly ripen on the stalk, 

 and it should be husked and harvested from the stalk in the field on a warm, 

 dry day, as it moulds very easily. The husked ears should be left in small 

 piles in the sun for an hour or so, and then hung in a well-ventilated barn to 

 cure thoroughly. 



The ear-worm is the %vorst pest the grower of this crop has to contend 

 with, and no methods have been devised to deal with it on a large scale, 

 although in the home garden a lot of damage can be prevented by hand- 

 picking the grubs and destroying them. 



Sweet corn may be eaten fresh or cooked in the ordinary manner as a 

 vegetable. One of the most appetising forms in which it can be served is by 

 boiling it on the cob with corned meat. If it is desired to remove the grain 

 from the cob, it should be given a preliminary boiling for ten or fifteen 

 minutes, then dipped suddenly into cold water, and the grain scraped from 

 the cob with a sharp knife. With the removal from the cob before proper 

 cooking, however, it appears that much of the flavour is lost. 



There are many districts in this State that are too early to mature 

 ordinary maize where sweet corn can be successfully grown. It grows well 

 wherever field maize is grown, and is becoming more popular in the home 

 vegetable gardens in the cities. 



Pop Corn. 



Pop corn is another distinct type of maize which has recently come into 

 prominence in this State owing to the failure of supplies from America and 

 to the greater demand which is apparently springing up for the manufactured 

 article in the confectionery trade. 



There are two varieties most favoured by the manufacturers — White Rice 

 and Black Beauty, the latter being slightly the better for confectioners' 

 purposes. 



The districts which produce the best samples of pop corn for manufacturing 

 purposes are the tablelands ; good crops of White Rice have been grown in 

 the Bathurst district, and of Black Beauty (which is about three or four 

 weeks earlier in maturing) in the Tenterfield district. 



The yields obtained are usually about one-third or half that of ordinary 

 dent maize. 



