CHAPTER XI 



MAIZE 



History of Maize. Maize is the name of a plant whose 

 Latin name is Zea Mais, of the grass family. The fruit 

 of this plant is also called maize. Although little is known 



FIG. 69. Field of maize under cultivation 



about where maize first grew, it is doubtless a native of 

 the mountainous part of tropical America. It has been 

 very long in cultivation, and was the staple crop of the 

 Indians as far north as New England when that country 

 was first visited by Europeans. In America "corn," 

 which originally meant any grain, is a commoner name 

 than maize for this plant. Several hundred varieties of 

 maize have been developed in cultivation. These fall 

 mostly into six groups : husk maize, tooth maize, starch 



90 



