MAIDEN HAIR. 



MAIZE. 



observed it in Tennessee near the banks of 

 Cumberland river, but of very small size. In 

 the Southern States it is not at present known 

 to th2 most assiduous collectors in any other 

 spot than a single narrow tract of about 2 

 miles in length, 12 miles southeast of Lincoln- 

 ton (Lincoln county, North Carolina). These 

 limits I have carefully examined and found 

 them invariable. 4. Tripetala (Umbrella-tree). 

 5. .7< inninntn (Cucumber-tree). Flowers yel- 

 lowish green. 6. Cordata. Flowers yellow; 

 appearing twice in the year in the garden of 

 Mr. Landreth of Philadelphia. Leaves sub- 

 cordate-oval, never truly cordate. 7. Aurint- 

 latti. Leaves rhomboid-lanceolate, auriculate 

 at the base. Considerably allied to M. Man-o- 

 phyUn. 8. Pyramidnta. Nothing more than a 

 variety of the preceding, having leaves a little 

 broader and shorter. See CUCUMBER TRKE. 



MAIDEN HAIR (Jihantum, derived from 

 adiiintos, dry. Pliny says, it is in vain to 

 plu n 7C the adiantum in water, for it always 

 remains dry). These are elegant species of 

 ferns with beautiful leaves. They succeed 

 well in a mixture of loam and peat; but they 

 appear to thrive best if planted in loose rock- 

 work where there is a good drainage, and may 

 be increased by divisions or by seeds. Jl. Ca- 

 pilln* vcneris is the only indigenous species. It 

 is often supposed that the French syrup called 

 cfifiiUtiire is made from this plant; but it is from 

 the Jldinntnm pedatnm, a plant growing in the 

 south of France. Our adiantum, however, 

 would make as useful a syrup. It is a refresh- 

 ing beverage, mixed with water, in fevers. 



Sec KHUN. 



MAIZE, MAIZ, or INDIAN CORN (Zea 

 mays, from zoo, to live, in reference tothe nutritive 

 properties of the plants belonging to the genus). 

 A gigantic herbaceous annual plant, belonging 

 to the family of grasses cultivated for their 

 grains (Grawrinra). Although, in Europe, the 

 word -VT/I is synonymous with wheat, rye, and 

 breadstuffs generally, in the United States the 

 term, used alone, applies exclusively to maize. 



In one of the counties of Pennsylvania, a 

 man having been indicted for stealing so many 

 .bushels of "corn," exception was taken by his 

 counsel, that this was not a perfect description 

 of Indian corn ; the exception, however, was 

 overruled by the court, who thus decided that 

 "corn" was the established name for Indian 

 corn. 



Maize is the crop, of all others, best adapted 

 to the climate of the United States, where it is 

 cultivated, on every variety of soil, from one 

 extremity of the Union to the other. It con- 

 stitutes the main stay of the cereal farmer, 

 most depended upon to furnish food and pro- 

 vender for man and beast. The crop raised 

 in the United States in 1839, has been esti- 

 mated at nearly 400,000,000 of bushels. That 

 of 1842 was much greater. Supposing it to 

 have been 500,000,000, this at an average price 

 of only 40 cents per bushel, would make the 

 total value of the crop no less than 200,000,000 

 of dollars, which is considerably more than 

 double the value of the wheat crop estimated 

 at $1 per bushel. The article on AGRICULTURE 

 will show the states and districts where the 

 largest proportion of this grain is produced. 



The amount raised annually, increases in rapid 

 progression. 



Although America is doubtless the native 

 country of a plant so important to her interests; 

 still this has been a disputed oint. Fuchs 

 very early maintained that it came from the 

 East; and Mathioli affirmed that it was from 

 America. Regmir and Gregory have piesent- 

 ed fresh arguments in favour of its Eastern 

 origin. Among them is the name by which it 

 has long been known in Europe : BU de Tur- 

 quie; and varieties, it is said, have been brought 

 from the Isle of France, or from China. Moreau 

 de Jonnes, on the contrary, has recently main- 

 tained, in a memoir read before the Academy 

 of Science, that its origin was in America. 

 The name Ble de Turquie no more proves it to 

 be of Turkish origin, than the name of the 

 Italian Poplar or Irish potato, proves that the 

 tree and the plant grew wild in Italy and Ire- 

 land. It can only signify that it spread from 

 Turkey into the neighbouring countries. Its 

 general cultivation in Southern Europe, and 

 the production of some new varieties, proves 

 nothing with regard to the country of the spe- 

 cies. In favour of its American origin, is* the 

 fact that it was found in a state of cultivation 

 in every place where the first navigators land- 

 ed. In Mexico, according to Hernandez ; and 

 in Brazil, according to Zeri ; and that in the 

 various countries it had proper names, such as 

 Maize, Flaolli, &c.: whilst, in the Old World, 

 its names were either all of American origin, 

 or from the neighbouring region, whence it 

 was derived. Immediately after the discovery 

 of America, it was spread rapidly in the Old 

 World, and soon became common, a fact 

 not reconcilable with the idea of its former 

 existence there. To these proofs, Aug. de 

 Saint-Hilaire has added another. He has re- 

 ceived from M. de Larranhaga, of Monte Video, 

 a new variety of maize, distinguished by the 

 name of Tunicata; because instead of having 

 the grains naked, they are entirely covered by 

 the glumes. This variety is from Paraguay, 

 where it is cultivated by the Guaycurus In- 

 dians, a people in the lowest scale of civiliza- 

 tion ; and where, according to the direct testi- 

 mony of one of them, it grows in the humid 

 forests as a native production. 



The early authors who have written about 

 America, with few if any exceptions, mention 

 maize as an indigenous grain. Thus Acoste, 

 in his Natural History of the West Indies, calls 

 it "Indian wheat, to make bread of," and says 

 " that it was the only grain found, in the West 

 Indies by the Europeans : that it grows upon 

 a long reed with large grains, and sometimes 

 two ears on a reed, on one of which 700 grains 

 have been told : that they sow it grain by 

 grain and not scattering, as is done with 

 wheat ; and it requires a hot and moist soil. 

 There are two sorts of it" (says our author), 

 "one large and substantial, the other small and 

 dry, which they call ' moroche.' The leaves of 

 it and also the reed are very good food for cat- 

 tle, green; and dry, it serves as well as straw. 

 The grain is better for beasts than barley, but 

 they must drink before they eat it ; for if the.* 

 drink after it, it swells and gives them pair 



iThe Indian 



eat it hot, boiled, and call 

 743 



