10 



VARIATIONS IN COMPOSITION. 



Certain special varieties of early maturing maize, or sweet maize 

 intended for table use when in the partially ripe state, are characterized 

 by the large quantity of sugar which they contain, especially when the 

 starch is still soft. In the earlier investigations of the Department it 

 was noticed that the percentage of crude fiber was somewhat larger in 

 varieties grown in the West and South than in those from the North 

 and East, and, further, that in samples grown on the Pacific coast there 

 was a slight deficiency of proteids. Further investigations, however, 

 would be necessary to determine whether or not this apparent increase 

 in fiber be due to the accidental constitution of the sample or to the 

 real influence of the soil and climate. It is reasonable to expect that 

 in some slowly maturing varieties, such as would grow in the Southwest 

 and South, the percentage of fiber in the grain would be greater than 

 in the more rapidly maturing varieties growing in the East and North. 



In the case of sugar or sweet corn liichardsou found the mean com- 

 position of 19 samples to be the following: 



Per cent. 



Moisture 8.44 



Ether extract 8. 57 



Crude fiber... 2.82 



Per ceut. 



Ash 1.97 



Proteids 11. 48 



Carbohydrates, other thaii liber. . . 66. 72 



This analysis shows that the sweet corn has a considerably larger 

 percentage of oil than the field varieties, and there is a larger percent- 

 age of sugar in the carbohydrates. 



A study of all the analyses which have been made in this division 

 reveals the fact that maize is one of the most invariable of the cereals, 

 maintaining under the most different climatic conditions a most remark- 

 able uniformity of composition, and varying chiefly in the size, color, 

 and general physical characteristics of its kernels rather than in their 

 composition. For detailed information in regard to the variations and 

 general characteristics of different varieties of maize grown in dif- 

 ferent localities, Bulletins 1 and 45 of 'this division may be consulted. 



MILLING OF MAIZE QUALITIES OF MEAL. 



The flour made from Indian corn is known in this country usually as 

 corn meal. There are many different methods of preparing it. The 

 simplest, and one of the most prevalent until within a few years, con- 

 sisted in grinding the kernels between stones and using the whole meal, 

 coarsely sifted, thus produced. Very large quantities of corn meal 

 prepared in this way are still used throughout all parts of the country, 

 especially in the Southern States. It is evident that this meal would 

 have nearly the same composition as the kernels from which it is pre- 

 pared. A finer grade of Indian-corn flour is produced by grinding as 

 above indicated and bolting to remove a large portion of the bran. 



