108 



ety.* My object is simply to bring together these testimonies in 

 such a manner that the readers of this vohtme may see, in a few 

 pages, -what they might otherwise be obliged to seek for in many 

 different quarters. 



Humboldt, the highest authority, says, " Without doubt maize 

 is a true American grain. The new world gave it to the old. 

 At the discovery of America maize was cultivated from the south- 

 ern part of Chili to Pennsylvania. According to the Aztec tra- 

 ditions, the Toultecs in the seventh century of our era introduced 

 into Mexico tlio culture of maize, cotton and pimento. It might 

 be, nevertheless, that these different branches of agriculture ex- 

 isted before the Toultecs, and that this nation, whose civilization, 

 according to historians, reached a high point, only successfully 

 extended them. It is commonly believed that maize was the only 

 species of grain known by the Americans before the arrival of the 

 Europeans. But it appears certain that in Chih, in the fifteenth 

 century, and long before, there were two other gramina, a kind 

 of rye and a kind of barley. "f 



M. Bonafous says, " Historians assure us that the first Europe- 

 ans who set foot in America, saw, among other marvels, a gigantic 

 corn, with long and tapering leaves, with a stout stock and golden 

 grain. This is the maize. Many nations celebrated its harvest 

 with religious festivals. At Cuzco, the holy city, where the Incas 

 lived, the Virgins of the Sun prepared from maize the sacrificial 

 bread, which they dipped in the blood of victims. In Mexico 

 they formed idols of it, which the priests broke and distributed 

 to the multitude. The Mexican Ceres received as offerings the 

 first fruits of the harvest. All the peoples of Mexico, Peru, 

 Brazil, Orinoco and the Antilles were fed on maize. It was the 

 corn of the new world. It was also used as money ; and the 

 Mexican law punished with death any one who stole seven ears 

 of corn." ^ 



De Acosta says that " maize was the only grain found in the 

 West Indies by the Europeans. It grows on a long stalk, with 

 large grains, and sometimes has two ears on a stalk. They 

 sow it grain by grain, not broadcast. It requires a hot climate 

 and a moist soil. The green leaves and stalks are good food for 

 cattle. When dried, they serve as well as straw." 



" As wheat is the common food of man in the East, so in the 

 new world is maize ; and is found in almost all the western king- 



* I must, in my own defence for undertaking this little essay, declare tliat until 

 it was finislicd I was not aware tliat Mr. Flint had so thorousjldy and skilfully 

 gone over the whole <]jround in the last volume of " The Agriculture of Massa- 

 chusetts." By a strange oversight I had remained ignorant of his excellent per- 

 formance, which renders mine sujicrtluous. I consent to its puhlication only to 

 gratify the wishes of personal friends. 



t New Spain, 2 : .'{ai. 



j Nat. Hist, of Maize. Paris, IS.JG, Chap. I. 



