2GO MAI /,r. 







cut green and converted into hay, and the ripened seeds, are food 

 for cattle, poultry, and swine 



h is raised most abundantly in Central Asia and the Himalaya. 

 In the latter country the different varieties are grown at various 

 elevations, between 4,000 and 12,000 feet. The finest samples 

 exhibited in 1851 were from Canada, but some of excellent quality 

 was also shown by the United States, Russia, and Belgium. The 

 common variety grown in Europe is the Polygomun fagopyrnm, and 

 P. emarginatum is grown in China and the East. In this country 

 the produce varies from 2 to 4 quarters per acre. The quantity of 

 seed sown is 5 to 8 pecks the acre. Vauquelin found 100 parts of 

 its straw to contain 29'5 of carbonate of potash, 3'8 of sulphate of 

 potash, 17'5 of carbonate of lime, 13'5 of carbonate of magnesia, 

 16'2 of silica, 10'5 of alum, and 9 of water. 



It is believed to be a native of Central Asia, as it is supposed to 

 have been first brought to Europe in the early part of the twelfth 

 century, at the time of the crusades for the recovery of Syria from 

 the dominion of the Saracens ; while others contend that it was 

 introduced into Spain by the Moors, four hundred years before. 



The cultivation of buckwheat, in one or other of its species, is 

 principally confined to Great Britain, France, Switzerland, Italy, 

 Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Russia, China, Tartary, Japan, 

 Algeria, Canada, and the middle and northern portions of the 

 United States. 



In America from 30 to 45 bushels per acre may be considered 

 as an average yield in favorable seasons and situations, but 60 or 

 more bushels are not unfrequcntly produced. 



According to the census returns of 1840, the annual quantity 

 raised in the United States was 7,291,743 bushels; of 1850, 

 8,950,916 bushels. 



The average annual imports of buckwheat into this country have 

 not exceeded 1,000 quarters, until last year (1852), when they 

 reached 8,085 quarters. A small quantity of the meal is also an- 

 nu;illy imported. 



MAIZE. 



MAI/E (Zed Mays), is the common well-known Indian corn 

 forming one of the most important of the grain crops, and has a 

 greater range of tempi 1 rat 1 1 re than the other cereal grasses. It 

 \\as.tuimd cultivated for food by the Indians of both North and 

 South America, on the first discovery of that continent, and thence 

 derived its popular name. Maize succeeds best in the hottest and 

 dampest parts of tropical climates. It may be reared as far as 40 

 degrees north and south latitude on the American continent; 

 while in Europe it can grow even to 50 degrees or 52 degrees of 

 latitude, some of the numerous varieties being hardy enough to 

 ripen in the open air, in England and Ireland. It is now culti- 



