126 USES OF PLANTS BY INDIANS [ETH. ANN. 33 
~ well with all sorts of Butcher’s Meat, either fresh or salt. And whereas the 
Pompion is never eaten till it be ripe, these are never eaten after they are ripe. 
6. The Indians never eat the Gourds, but plant them for other uses 
[They] use the Shells, instead of Flagons and Cups. 
7. The Maracock, which is the Fruit of what we call the Passion-Flower, our 
Natives did not take the Pains to plant, having enough of it growing every- 
where; tho’ they eat it . . . this Fruit is about the Size of a Pullet’s Egg. 
Besides all these, our Natives had originally amongst them, Jndian Corn, 
Peas, Beans, Potatoes, and Tobacco. This Indian Corn was the Staff of Food, 
upon which the Indians did ever depend. 
There are Four Sorts of Indian Corn: Two of which are early ripe, and Two, 
late ripe, all growing in the same manner; every single Grain of this when 
planted, produces a tall, upright Stalk, which has several Ears hanging on the 
Sides of it, from Six to Ten Inches long. Each Ear is wrapt up in a Cover of 
many Folds, to protect it from the Injuries of the Weather. In every one of 
these Ears are several rows of Grain, set close to one another, with no other 
Partition, but a very thin Husk. So that oftentimes the Increase of this 
Grain amounts to above a Thousand forsone. 
The Two Sorts which are early ripe, are distinguish’d only by the Size, which 
shows itself as well in the Grain as in the Ear and the Stalk. There is some 
Difference also in the Time of ripening. 
The lesser Size of Early ripe Corn yields an Ear not much larger than the 
Handle of a Case Knife, and grows upon a Stalk between Three and Four Feet 
high. Of this are commonly made Two Crops in a Year, and, perhaps, there 
might be Heat enough in Hngland to ripen it. 
The larger Sort differs from the former only in Largeness, the Ear of this 
being Seven or Eight Inches long, as thick as a Child’s Leg, and growing upon 
a Stalk Nine or Ten feet high. This is fit for eating about the latter End of 
May, whereas the smaller Sort (generally speaking) affords Ears fit to roast 
by the middle of May. The grains of both these Sorts are as plump and swell’d 
as if the Skin were ready to burst. 
The late ripe Corn is diversify’d by the Shape of the Grain only, without any 
Respect to the accidental Differences in colour, some being blue, some red, 
some yellow, some white, and some streak’d. That therefore which makes the 
Distinction, is the Plumpness or Shriveling of the Grain; the one looks as 
smooth, and as full as the early ripe Corn, and this they call Flint-Corn; the 
other has a larger grain, and looks shrivell’d, with a Dent on the Back of the 
Grain, as if it had never come to Perfection; and this they call She-Corn. 
This is esteem’d by the Planters as the best for Increase, and is universally 
chosen by them for planting; yet I can’t see but that this also produces the 
Flint-Corn, accidentally among the other. 
All these Sorts are planted alike, in Rows, Three, Four or Five Grains in a 
Hill; the larger sort at Four or Five feet Distance, the lesser Sort nearer. 
The Indians used to give it One or Two Weedings, and make a Hill about it, 
and so the labour was done. They likewise plant a Bean in the same Hill 
with the Corn, upon whose Stalk it sustains itself. 
The Indians sow’d Peas sometimes in the Intervals of the Rows of Corn, but 
more generally in a Patch of Ground by themselves. They have an unknown 
Variety of them (but all of a Kidney-Shape), some of which I have met with 
wild; but whence they had their Indian Corn I can give no Account; for I 
don’t believe that it was spontaneous in those parts. 
Their Potatoes are either red or white, about as long as a Boy’s Leg, and 
sometimes as long and as big as both the Leg and Thigh of a young Child, and 
