6 INTRODUCTION. 



of the continent may affect in a marked degree the character of the 

 product. 



The distribution of the work from north to south rendered it pos- 

 sible for the same analysts to perform tj^e chemical analyses in the 

 different localities. Beginning with the earliest harvest in Florida, 

 the same workers followed the ripening crop from Florida to South 

 Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, and finally to Maine. 



One of the most important points in connection with this study 

 was that the analytical work be done as quickly as possible after the 

 harvesting of the crop. Previous work had shown a rapid change, 

 especially in the sugar content of the green Indian corn, after its 

 separation from the stalk, and particularly if exposed to a high tem- 

 perature. It was necessary, therefore, where no chemical laboratory 

 was available, to have a portable laboratory, so that the analyses 

 could be made as soon as the corn was harvested. In this way the 

 errors which would necessarily occur in examining the samples at 

 different periods after harvesting were avoided. As jt was quite 

 impossible to perform all the analytical operations on many hundreds 

 of samples in the field, only those analyses were made which could 

 be speedily completed, and the samples were preserved in such a way 

 as to protect them from any appreciable change until the more elabo- 

 rate chemical work could be accomplished. By the course of experi- 

 ments which preceded the beginning of this work it was found that 

 the best, simplest, and easiest way of preserving these samples is 

 immediately to boil them in alcohol. This not only prevents all 

 enzymic and other destructive action but also protects the samples 

 from fermentation until such time as they can be more carefully 

 examined. 



There are many points relating to the influence of environment 

 which are not covered by these investigations. It seemed wiser not 

 to complicate the problem by undertaking too many lines of study. 

 Sweet Indian corn is valued as a table dish on account of its succu- 

 lence, tenderness, and sweetness, and these were the points to which 

 particular attention was directed. Organoleptic tests were made 

 in addition to the chemical determinations as to the sweetness and 

 general character of the product and it is interesting to note that 

 the results of these agreed in nearly every instance with the chemical 

 determinations. In other words, the trained palate, while not able 

 to determine the percentage of sugar in such a product as sweet 

 Indian corn, was at least able to note the samples as poor, good, or 

 excellent, and the chemical analyses bore out the classification thus 

 made. 



This line of work has been continued now for a number of years 

 with excellent practical results. It has, the writer believes, marked 

 out a new course of agricultural investigations which, in the future, 



