CHAPTER 11 3 



CORN (ZEA MAIZE) 



The average acre of corn produces more food value than an equal 

 area of any other staple crop except potatoes. Corn has a longer season 

 of growth than most other staple crops, and, consequently, it more fully 

 utilizes the plant food that is made available by processes going on in 

 the soil when reasonably warm and moist. It is adapted to a wide range 

 of soil conditions. It fits well into the crop rotations without seriously 

 competing with other crops for labor. It has a wide range of uses. The 

 tillage which the crop receives leaves the soil in excellent condition for 

 the crops which follow. 



Classification of Corn. There are six types of corn: dent, flint, 

 sweet, pop, soft and pod. The first four only are of importance in 

 America. Fully 90 per cent of the corn grown in North America is of the 

 dent type. There are several hundred varieties of dent corn and a score 

 or more varieties of flint corn. The types are classified according to color 

 and size. Dent corn is divided into three classes with reference to size 

 and time of maturity, namely: early, medium and late maturing varieties. 

 It is also divided according to color into yellow dent, white dent, white 

 cap yellow dent and mixed dent varieties. 



Varieties of Corn. Of the several hundred varieties of dent corn, 

 comparatively few are worthy of cultivation in any particular locality; 

 and yet one often finds many varieties within a restricted area. Where 

 soil conditions are uniform over several counties, one or two varieties 

 may be found best suited to the whole of the area. 



Corn is a very minor crop in Canada, the most of it being grown in 

 the Province of Ontario. Flint is the prevailing type. In the north- 

 eastern part of the United States, including New England, New York, 

 Pennsylvania and New Jersey, varieties of flint corn are extensively grown 

 on the higher elevations and in the northernmost latitudes. Among the 

 best known varieties of this class may be mentioned Longfellow, King 

 Phillip, Smut Nose, Stickney's Yellow, Taylor's Improved Flint and 

 Davis' Eight Rowed Flint. The prevailing varieties of dent corn in this 

 section are Pride of the North, Early Huron Dent, Funk's 90 Day, 

 Learning and numerous strains of white cap dent, seldom having local 

 names. 



In the typical corn belt of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri 



and eastern Kansas and Nebraska, the leading varieties are Reed's Yellow 



Dent, Funk's Yellow Dent, Learning, Reilley's Favorite, Clarage, Hogue's 



Yellow Dent, Hildreth's Yellow Dent, Hiawatha Yellow Dent, Boone 



12 39 , 



