QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 63 



as farinaceous. It appears to have been found both in tropical America 

 and part of Asia. The early Spanish voyagers to America took it back 

 with them to Spain, where it was cultivated as early as 1526, or forty or 

 fifty years earlier than the white potato. 



362. Q. How many marketable ears of green corn should we get to the Com. 

 acre, and how long does it require from planting to marketing ? 



A. Of the medium and large varieties of sugar corn, 75 to 80 bushels, 

 or 8000 to 9000 marketable ears can be raised to the acre. Corn when 

 planted in Midsummer does not mature as quickly as when Spring planted, 

 as the climatic conditions are not so favorable, not of such a forcing na- 

 ture as the early Summer influences, hence from 10 to 15 days must be 

 added to the calculation of the time required to develop a crop, for in- 

 stance, the Evergreen Sugar corn, which, when planted, say May 15, will 

 mature under usual conditions in 85 days, should be given 90 to 100 days 

 as an Autumn crop. 



363. Q. What is the extent of the corn canning interest ? Corn 



A. The canning of corn for "Winter use has become a most important Canning- 

 industry, employing thousands of hands and a large capital invested in 

 buildings and machinery. The number of tins put up during the Sum- 

 mer of 1893 was 93,000,000, and it is expected that during the Summer of 

 1895 the number of cans may reach to 125,000,000. New York State cans 

 the largest quantity, with Maine not far behind and Maryland as a third. 

 The operations in the State of Maryland of growing the best vegetable 

 sweet corn for canning have reached a most notable development. One 

 Maryland farmer and canner alone purchasing for several years the seed 

 corn to plant 1100 acres of his own land and 3400 acres of contracted crop 

 grown by neighbors ; every grain from which 4500 acres he put up in tin 

 cans, 



364. Q. What are the manufacturing uses of corn ? Uses of 

 A. A large quantity of corn is used in making starch. This article is Com. 



more generally used in the arts than is realized, for it enters in the filling 

 of many woven fabrics, in the manufacture of candy, some candy being 

 over half starch, in baking powders, paper and a thousand things as an 

 adulterant, 250,000,000 pounds of starch being annually consumed in vari- 

 ous ways, and all of which, in this country, is made principally from pota- 

 toes, corn and some from wheat. About 10,000,000 bushels of corn are 

 annually used in the manufacture of starch. A comparatively new use 

 for corn is that for brewing or beer making, quite 30,000,000 bushels 

 being used annually. Corn used for brewing has first to be deprived of 

 its cuticle and its germ to get rid of the native oil, for if over 2 per 

 cent, of oil remains the corn is unfit for beer. The degerminating ma- 

 chines are very ingenious. 



365. Q. What is the geographical centre of the corn-growing interest ? ^'"^^ 



A. In 1829 the centre of production was this side of the Alleghenies. ^^****'**'"*'"* 

 In 1839 over the mountain. In 1849 in Ohio. In 1889 in Illinois. In 1894 

 in Iowa. None of these districts which once led have fallen behind in 



