MAIZE. 



MAIZE. 



attended by a corresponding increase in the 

 product of grain. The time taken by different 

 varieties in growing and maturing, differs ex- 

 ceedingly. In the Southern and Middle States 

 the crop occupies the ground from 5 to 7 months, 

 whilst in the Northern and Eastern States the 

 ears come to maturity in 3 or 4 months, and 

 some is even found so precocious as to ripen 

 in 6 weeks. An interesting and plausible ex- 

 planation of these facts is given in the article 

 on CLIMATE, and its INFLUENCE ON THE FIIUIT- 

 FULXKSS OF PLANTS. 



Since Mr. Lorain wrote his excellent book, 

 several demonstrations have been furnished of 

 the practicability of improving corn. One of 

 the most interesting is that made by Thomas N. 

 Baden, Esq., of Prince George's county, Mary- 

 land, who, by carefully selecting the best seed 

 in his field for a long series of years, having 

 special reference to those stalks which pro- 

 duced the most ears, ultimately obtained a va- 

 riety which yields 4, 5, 6, and even as high as 

 8 and 10 ears to the single stalk. The parti- 

 culars of the plan pursued are as follows: 



When the corn was husked, he made a 

 re-selection, taking only that which appeared 

 sound and fully ripe, having a regard to the 

 deepest and best colour, as well as the size of 

 the cob. In the spring, before shelling the 

 corn, he examined it again, and selected that 

 which was the best in all respects. In shelling 

 the corn, he omitted the irregular kernels at 

 both the large and small ends. He has care- 

 fully followed this mode of selecting seed corn 

 for twenly-two or twenty-three years, and still con- 

 tinues to do so. When he first commenced, it 

 was with a common kind of corn, for there 

 was none other in that part of the country. At 

 first he was troubled to find stalks with even 

 two good ears on them, perhaps one good ear 

 and one small one, or one good ear and a 

 'nubbin.' It was several years before he could 

 discover much benefit resulting from his efforts; 

 however, at length the quality and quantity 

 began to improve, and the improvement was 

 then very rapid. At present he does not pre- 

 tend to lay up any seed without it comes from 

 stalks which bear 4, 5, or 6 ears. He has seen 

 stalks bearing 8 ears. One of his neighbours 

 informed him that he had a single stalk with 

 ten perfect ears on it. In addition to the number 

 of ears, and of course the great increase in 

 quantity unshelled, it may be mentioned that it 

 yields much more than common corn when 

 shelled. A barrel (10 bushels of ears) of his 

 improved kind of corn measured a little more 

 than six bushels. The common kind of corn 

 will measure about 5 bushels only. He be- 

 lieves that he raises double, or nearly so, to what 

 he could with any other corn. He generally 

 plants the corn about the first of May, and 

 places the hills five feet apart each way, leav- 

 ing two stalks in a hill. 



Some of Mr. Baden's seed-corn was sent 

 to Illinois, with instructions how to manage it, 

 and the product was o.ie hundred and twenty 

 bushels on an cure : there was no corn in Illinois 

 like it, and it produced more fodder than any 

 other kind. (Farm. Cab. vol. ii.) 



The Baden corn is a white gourdseed, the 

 stalks of which grow to an. extraordinary 



height, so that the ears are often 6 or 8 feet 

 above the ground, and the summits twice that 

 elevation. The grain is of excellent quality, but 

 the ears are short and considerably under the 

 average size of the common varieties of corn. 

 When removed but little farther north, as for 

 example to the vicinity of Philadelphia, it sel- 

 dom matures perfectly. It does not answer 

 well for high-land culture, but ilourishes and 

 produces abundance of grain and fodder in 

 the rich flat lands of the Southern and South- 

 western States. It verifies the observation 

 that high-growing corn is the least disposed to 

 ripen the ears, and consequently most liable to 

 injury from autumnal frosts. 



Varieties cnlirtitcd for particular purposes. 

 Among the varieties of corn cultivated for 

 special purposes, we may mention the white 

 flint, used for making the beautiful hominy 

 sold in the Philadelphia market; \\\e flour mm, 

 with a round, thick grain, filled with a snowy 

 white powder resembling starch, much used in 

 New Jersey for grinding up with buckwheat, in 

 the proportion of about one-fourth or one-fifth of 

 the corn, giving the buckwheat-meal a lighter 

 colour and otherwise improving it. The early 

 Jersey truck corn, a rniddle-si/ed ear, with 

 white and rather flinty grains, the earliest corn 

 raised for the market, but not so sweet as the 

 Kiirly sii'eet or Sugar rorn, which, when dry, has 

 shrivelU-il -rams; there are two varieties of 

 this, the white and red cob kinds. The small 

 flinty-grained corn usually raised for parching 

 or popping is considered a distinct species of 

 maize, under the name of Zea Caragua, or Val- 

 paraiso corn, to which a sort of religious repu- 

 tation has been attached, from the circum- 

 stance of its splitting open when parched or 

 roasted so as to present some resemblance to 

 a cross. Its appearance under this form is 

 peculiarly beautiful, and bears a strong re- 

 semblance to the flowers of a cruciferous 

 plant. The flavour is pleasant, and it makes 

 a very pretty dessert-dish. 



Preparation of the Land for planting. In the 

 Middle States corn is planted in all conditions 

 of the land, but in Virginia and Maryland, it 

 generally follows the wheat crop, upon which 

 all the farm-yard manure has been spread. In 

 the upper portion of Delaware and in Pennsyl- 

 vania, the crop is generally put upon a grass 

 sward or clover lay. Where the soil is a stiff 

 clay, much labour is bestowed in ploughing 

 deep, then rolling and reducing to the finest 

 tilth by means of harrows. As a general rule, 

 after a sward has been turned, care is taken 

 not to harrow so deep as to reach and drag up 

 the sods, which are suffered to lie and decom- 

 pose, thus furnishing nutriment to the corn, 

 and keeping the ground loose and favourable 

 to the spreading of the roots. Many farmers 

 spread lime upon the land intended for corn, 

 in the autumn or winter, previously to plough- 

 ing. Others put the lime dressing on the 

 ploughed ground. Although the first may be 

 considered a good plan, still there can be little 

 ! doubt that lime operates most effectually when 

 left upon the surface so as to be exposed to 

 | the atmosphere, and especially to the full action 

 of rain water with its dissolving agent carbo- 

 nic acid gas. But the best plan of all is to 



747 



