No. 151.] 413 



corn," took their origin from the circumstance that the cultivation 

 of this plant spread from Turkey to the neighboring countries, and 

 consequently led some writers to believe that it first came from the 

 East. 



Description. 



The fruitful maize, in verdant vistas rear'd, 



Its spire majestic, to the playful breeze, 



Spreading its loosely-waving panicles, while low 



The purple anthers bending o'er to kiss 



The silken, tassel'd styles, delight the eye 



Of watchful Ceres. 



Traits of the Aborigines. 



Maize or Indian corn, consists of several varieties, which are 

 thought to owe their distinctive characters to the accidental modifi- 

 cations of climate, soil, and culture, rather than to any original dif- 

 ferences. The plant is described by botanists, as a strong, reedy, 

 jointed stalk, provided with large alternate leaves, almost like flags, 

 springing from every joint. The top produces a bunch of male 

 flowers, of various colors, 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, at vari- 

 ous distances from the ground, and are closely enveloped by several 

 thin leaves, forming a sheath, which is called the husk. The ears 

 consist of a cylindrical substance of the nature of a pith, which is 

 called the coh, 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 twenty or more seeds. The eyes or germs of the seeds are 

 in nearly radial lines from the centre of the cylinder; from these 

 eyes proceed individual filaments of a silky appearance, and of a 

 bright green color; 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 ears would produce no seed, a fact which has 

 been established by cutting off the top previous to the development 

 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 colors, the prevailing hue 

 being yellow of various shades, sometimes approaching 'to white, and 



