SECRETARY'S REPORT. 79 



temperature of 65°. On that account it cannot grow in Eng- 

 land, in every part of which the mean temperature is only from 

 55° to 62°. It has too little sun, but two varieties have been 

 said to ripen there in ordinary seasons — the French mais a 

 Poulet, or chicken corn, as used in France, brought from Egypt, 

 which ripens in 120 days from planting, but with too scanty a 

 crop to pay for cultivation. The other, Cobbett's mais quar- 

 antain, a forty days' corn, though it takes 140 days to ripen, 

 from Artois, in France. Indian corn will never be cultivated 

 where it does not yield crops which will pay better than the others 

 fitted to the place, the grape, &c., &c. The highest vertical 

 point of cultivation of Indian corn in Europe is at the the vil- 

 lage of Lescaus in Basses Pyrenees, France, 3,280 feet above 

 the sea. In tropical America, at 7,600 feet high. In Beechel- 

 broune, Europe, mean temperature 68° Fahrenheit, Indian corn 

 ripened in four months. In South America it comes to matur- 

 ity in three months or ninety-two days, the mean temperature 

 81° and 82° Fahrenheit; but on elevated plains, as Santa F^, it 

 requires six months or 183 days, with a mean temperature of 

 59° Fahrenheit, and therefore does not pay. 



The southern corn 'crop of the United States is earlier by one 

 or two months, than Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsyl- 

 vania and New York. Several varieties of maize alter some- 

 what in size and time of ripening by change of climate. This 

 is imputed to the selection or change of seed. Generally 

 those brought from south to north, after a little while lose any 

 dent, become earlier and the plants diminish in size ; while if 

 they are transferred from a colder to a warmer region the 

 reverse of this takes place. In the colder climate the harder 

 or horny part increases in size and firmness, and the farinaceous 

 or mealy part, diminishes in bulk, but is more compact ; while 

 in warmer climates the kernels become more farinaceous at the 

 expense of the harder part, and the farinaceous portion fills 

 up less perfectly with starch granules and other matter. 



No plant will stand the effect of drought so well as Indian 

 corn while it is young ; but when its top blades begin to be 

 heavy, its demands for moisture increase so as to cause it to 

 suffer greatly from very dry weather. The ease and rapidity 

 with which it recovers from a drought is truly remarkable. 

 Many predicted during the summer of 1857 that the corn crop 



