that it originated solely in America. It 

 had long been cultivated there at the time 

 of the discovery of the New World. 



At the present time corn is extensively 

 cultivated in various countries and is- 

 lands, but nowhere on such an enormous 

 scale as in the Mississippi valley and its 

 larger tributaries. The Mississippi corn 

 region, with Springfield (Illinois) as its 

 centre, produces annually from i,ooo to 

 15,000 millions of bushels, or about 

 three-fourths of the total crop of the 

 United States. In the Central States 

 corn is cultivated on a large and simple 

 scale, made possible by the rich soil. 

 One man with three horses cultivates 

 from 80 to 100 acres, besides oats and 

 other farm products. Corn requires rich, 

 black, loose soil with good surface drain- 

 age, and special climatic conditions. The 

 season must be warm, with ample evenly 

 distributed rainfall, and nights must not 

 be cool. For example, England and the 

 Pacific countries of America and high al- 

 titudes are not suited because of the cool 

 nights. The plant is quite susceptible to 

 frosts and large tracts are not infre- 

 quently damaged by late spring and early 

 autumn frosts. 



The soil is ploughed, harrowed and 

 then the corn is planted in rows, either 

 drilled (single grains about six to ten 

 inches apart) or planted in hills (three 

 to five grains) about three feet apart. 

 The hill check method is preferred. The 

 young plants begin to appear above the 

 surface of the soil in from four to six 

 days, and after having attained a height 

 of about six inches the corn is cultivated 

 by means of special cultivators, known as 

 corn plows, with the rows and crosswise, 

 if checked. This cultivation is repeated 

 three or four times. At the last cultiva- 

 tion, spoken of as "laying the corn by," 

 it has attained a height of some four feet 

 and nothing further is done in the way of 

 cultivation. In the fall the leaves and 

 stalks turn yellowish brown, the ears 

 with the reddish brown dry silk and the 

 leafy bracts become more pendant and 

 after a few frosts have set in. the corn 

 is pronounced in a fit condition for 

 "husking," or "shucking." In this pro- 

 cess the ears are separated from the 

 stalk, removing at the same time the 

 leafy bracts and most of the silk. The 

 method of "husking" corn differs some- 



what in different localities. In the cen- 

 tral states the farmer enters the field 

 with wagon and two horses, lets the 

 horses and wagon straddle a row of com 

 already husked, with another husked row 

 to the left of the wagon, and he "takes" 

 or "husks" two rows and throws the 

 husked ears into the wagon one by one, 

 urging the horses on as he makes prog- 

 ress. The horses are easily controlled, as 

 they feed upon the dry corn leaves and 

 an occasional ear overlooked by the 

 husker. The development in the skill of 

 corn husking is quite interesting. Some 

 thirty or forty years ago, when com 

 was cultivated on a smaller scale, a good 

 husker could not husk more than from 20 

 to 30 bushels per day ; at the present time 

 a good husker collects from 80 to 100 

 bushels per day. 



In some localities, especially the east 

 and south of the United States, corn 

 husking is done differently. The farmer 

 may simply "snap" the corn, that is, re- 

 move ear, husk and all, convey it to his 

 barn and husk it later by inviting his 

 neighbors to a "husking bee." This 

 method is looked upon as ridiculously 

 childish by the more active and energetic 

 farmer of the central states. Or he may 

 haul the wagon to the field, return the 

 horses to the stable, and husk the corn 

 into a basket and then empty the bas- 

 ket into the wagon. There are corn 

 husking machines upon the market, but 

 none which are of any great practical 

 value to the small or individual farmer. 



There are a multitude of varieties of 

 corn — no one knows how many — and 

 new varieties are continually being pro- 

 duced by the progressive farmer and by 

 the scientific investigators at the various 

 experiment stations of the United States. 

 The numerous varieties of what is known 

 as "white dent corn" are now most ex- 

 tensivelv cultivated in the central states. 

 Some thirty years ago the yellow variety 

 was preferred. The small, hard kerneled 

 "flint" varieties, to which pop corn be- 

 longs, are cultivated almost entirely for 

 food purposes. The Indians of Yucatan 

 bake it into cakes called "tortilla," and 

 in Ireland it is made into a kind of por- 

 ridge. The "sweet corn" varieties are 

 cultivated almost wholly for eating direct 

 or for canning. The various varieties 

 mix or cross very readily. For example, 



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