CEREALS AND FORAGE PLANTS 



343 



years " and " bad years " for such crops. The cereals will 

 be considered in the order of their importance in the United 

 States. 



Corn (Maize) 



47. Production of corn. A more appropriate name for 

 Indian corn is " maize," the original name given to it when 

 America was discovered. In foreign countries, " corn " 

 means any grain and several things besides. " Indian corn " 



FIG. 17. Map shaded to show the states of greatest corn-production. 



distinguishes it from any other grain, but the simple word 

 " corn " distinguishes it only in the United States. 



The United States is preeminently the country of corn-pro- 

 duction, in 1912 producing over three billion bushels. This 

 statement is emphasized by contrasting this production with 

 that of other countries, which will have to be done for the year 

 1911. In that year, a relatively poor year, the United States 

 produced two and a half billion bushels of corn, while Italy, 

 the second country in corn-production, produced 93 million 

 bushels, and Russia 81 million bushels. In fact, in 1910 (the 



