CHAPTER 13 

 THE MOST IMPORTANT CEREALS 



The grasses, which are grown for their grains, are known as cereals. 

 These grasses gathered at first by uncivilized men for their grain fruits 

 slowly came into cultivation, as men left the hunting and pastoral stages 

 and became agriculturists. The ancient inhabitants of China, Babylonia, 

 Egypt, North and South America at an early date cultivated the 

 cereals. The most important cereals in the United States in the order 

 of their production are Maize (Indian corn), Oats, Wheat, Barley, Rye, 

 Rice, Buckwheat. The average production of them in the United States 

 for the period 1911-13 was in bushels as follows: 



Maize (Corn) 2,701,074,000 bushels. 



Oats 1,154,134,300 bushels. 



Wheat 704,995,000 bushels. 



Barley 187,417,700 bushels. 



Rye 56,721,000 bushels. 



Rice 11,808,700 bushels. 



The above cereals will be treated of in the order of their production in the 



United States. 



Maize, Indian Corn, Corn (Zea mays). 



Origin. Maize is undoubtedly a native of America and the evidence 

 points to Mexico as the original home of the wild species. It was culti- 

 vated from ancient times among the agricultural tribes of North and South 

 America. The wild form is not known definitely, but teosinte. Euchl- 

 laena mexicana, is the nearest known wild relative of maize and the two 

 plants readily hybridize. Montgomery, Collins, Weatherwax, and the 

 writer have proposed various theories, as to the origin of maize in its 

 cultivated forms, but the theoretical discussion of this interesting matter 

 will not be solved finally until either a wild progenitor of maize is dis- 

 covered by some fortunate botanist, or the cultivated maize (cultigen) 

 is produced synthetically from maize and teosinte combined, as some 

 botanists think that the cultivated plant is of hybrid origin, or from teo- 

 sinte alone. 



