356 APPENDIX. 



broad leaves, tasselled flowers, and large thick ears, plentifullj 

 supplied with seeds of grain. 



There are several varieties of Indian corn, supposed to arise 

 from difference of climate ; but there is no doubt that America 

 is the native place of the plant ; for there, and in the West 

 India Islands, it is found growing wild, and is cultivated to 

 the greatest perfection. The growth of American maize is 

 various, being from seven to ten feet in favourable situations, 

 and in some cases attaining the extraordinary height of four- 

 teen feet, without losing any of its productiveness. The value 

 of the grain to America is nearly as great as that of rice 

 to India. It forms a principal food of the inhabitants of the 

 United States, and almost the sole support of the Mexicans. 

 It is also largely consumed in Africa. It is said to be much 

 less subject to disease than our wheat, no such thing as blight, 

 mildew, or rust, being known to the crop. The chief enemies 

 to the maize farmer are insects in the early stages, and birds 

 in the later periods of cultivation. 



The increase of this crop, compared with that of other kinds 

 of wheat, is exceedingly large. In Mexico, where it is the most 

 luxuriant, its productiveness is almost incredible. We are as- 

 sured that, in some particularly favoured spots of that country, 

 it has been known to yield an increase of eight hundred for 

 one ; while it is by no means uncommon, where artificial irri- 

 gation is practised, to gather from three hundred and fifty to 

 four hundred measures of grain for every one measure that has 

 been sown. In other places where no artificial means are used, 

 forty or sixty bushels are gained for each one sown. 



The produce from maize in the United States is less luxuri- 

 ant than in Mexico, but is very superior to tliat of other kinds 

 of grain. Where the average crop of wheat does not exceed 

 from fourteen to seventeen bushels, that of maize amounts to 

 from twenty to thirty bushels. In some of the warm and moist 

 regions of Mexico three harvests of maize may be annually 

 gathered, but it is not usual to take more than one. The 

 seed-time is from June to the end of August. In the United 

 States, maize is generally planted about the middle of May, 

 that it may escape frost, and the harvesting takes place a little 

 later than that of wheat. This is an advantage to the American 

 farmer, making it more possible to secure a portion of the crop ; 

 but in all circumstances there is much difficulty in conducting 

 harvest work in a country where the growth and maturity of 

 crops are so rapid. 



The culture of maize is very successfully carried on in 



