THE GEAMINEjE. 



225 



into the oven, the heat of which speedily sets the 

 dough sufficiently, so that the tins being re- 

 versed, their contents are turned out upon the 

 leaves or paper. The bread, when perfectly 

 baked, will be of a fine yellow colour, similar to 

 that imparted to flour by the yolks of eggs, and 

 when new is said to be sufliciently agreeable. 



The Chinese manufacture a sort of wine from 

 rice, said to be similar to Spanish white wine. 



Duhamel describes a method of mixing rice 

 with malted barley, for the manufacture of beer. 

 Four parts of crushed rice steeped in an equiva- 

 lent weight of water, are added to one part of 

 malt, the ready formed saccharine matter of the 

 barley malt appears to have the singular property 

 of speedily converting the fecula of unmalted 

 com into a kind of soluble matter which has the 

 fermentative properties of sugar. If malt and 

 rice flour, diluted so as to have a pasty consis- 

 tence, be mixed and mashed together, and then 

 left during three or four hours, the mixture will 

 present the appearance of a liquid which is 

 slightly saccharine to the taste, and having a se- 

 diment at the bottom of the vessel, which is 

 found, on examination, to be composed of only 

 the husks of barley and rice. JI. Dubrunfaut 

 used for the purpose rice from which the husk 

 had not been removed previous to its being 

 crashed, and which in this state is known by 

 the name oi paddv or more properly parfrfec. 



Zea Mayz (maize or Indian corn) is a plant 

 indigenous to America, having been found imder 

 partial cultivation by the Indians on the discov- 

 ery of the New World. It is extensively culti- 

 vated both in North and South America, and 

 forms an article of food as important to the in- 

 habitants of those regions, as rice does in the 

 eastern countries. There is only one ascertained 

 species of maize, although several varieties seem 

 to arise in consequence of differences of soil, cul- 

 ture, and climate. 



The plant consists of a strong jointed stalk 

 (see Plate VI., figs. ], 2.), provided with large 

 alternate leaves, almost like flags, springing from 

 every joint. The top produces a bunch of male 

 flowers, of various colours, which is called the 

 tassel. Each plant bears, likewise, one or more 

 spikes or ears, seldom so few as one, and rarely 

 more than four or five, the most usual number 

 being three : as many as seven have been seen 

 occasionally on one stalk. These ears proceed 

 from the stalk at various distances from the 

 gi'ound, and are closely enveloped l)y several thin 

 leaves, forming a sheath, which is called the 

 husk. The ears consist of a cylindrical substance, 

 of the nature of pith, which is callrd the cobb, 

 over the entire surface of which the seeds are 

 ranged, and fixed in eight or more straight rows, 

 each row having generally as many as thirty or 

 more seeds. The eyes or germs of the seeds are 

 in nearly radial lines from the centre of the cy- 



linder; from these eyes proceed individual fila- 

 ments of a silky appearance, and of a bright green 

 colour; the aggregate of these hang out from the 

 point of the husk, in a thick cluster, and in this 

 state are called the silk. It is the office of these 

 filaments, which are the stigmata, to receive the 

 farina, which drops from the flowers on the top, 

 or tassel, and without which the cars would pro- 

 duce no seed — a fact which has been established 

 by cutting off the top previous to the develop- 

 ment of its flowers, when the ears proved wholly 

 barren. So soon as their office has been thus 

 performed, both the tassel and the silk dry up, 

 and put on a withered appearance. 



The grains of maize are of different colours, 

 the prevailing hue being yellow, of various shades, 

 sometimes approaching to white, and at other 

 times deepening to red. Some are of a deep cho- 

 colate colour, others greenish or olive-coloured, 

 and even the same ears will sometimes contain 

 grains of difi^erent colours. 



^Maize is said to contain no gluten, and little 

 if any ready-formed saccharine matter, whence 

 it has been asserted to have but a very small nu- 

 tritive power ; on the other hand, it is seen that 

 domestic animals which are fed with it very 

 speedily become fat, their flesh being at the same 

 time remarkably firm. Horses which consume 

 this corn are enabled to perform their full por- 

 tion of labour, are exceedingly hai'dy, and re- 

 quire but little care; and the common people of 

 countries where Indian com fonns the ordinary 

 food, ore for the most part strong and hardy 

 races. The produce of maize, on a given extent 

 of cultivation, is greater than that of any other 

 grain ; and the proportional return for the quan- 

 tity of seed committed to the ground is equally 

 advantageous. 



American Indian Corn is the largest known 

 variety of maize. It is found gi'owing wild in 

 many of the West Indian islands, os well as in 

 the central parts of America ; and there can be 

 no doubt of its being a native of those regions. 

 In favourable situations it has a verj^ consider- 

 able growth, attaining to the height of from seven 

 to ten feet ; in some cases it has acquired the 

 gigantic height of fourteen feet, without in any 

 way impairing its productive power. Its spike, 

 or ear, is eight or ton inches in length, and five 

 or six inches in circumference. The plant gen- 

 erally sends out one, two, or more suckers from 

 the bottom of the stalk ; but these it is advisable 

 to remove, not only as they draw away part of 

 the nourishment which should go to support the 

 main stalk, but because the ears which the 

 suckers bear ripen at later periods than the 

 others, and the harvest could not all be simulta- 

 neously secured in the propei'est state of matu- 

 rity: 



This variety will rarely come to maturity in 

 northern climates, and could never be securely 

 2i.- 



