VARIETIES AND BREEDS 279 



The " mummy-corns" from Peru, Chile, and Arizona were CHAP, 

 largely flour corns. Flour maize is still grown by native 

 Indians of Brazil, Mexico, Arizona, and other parts of North 

 America, for their own consumption, but it is not much culti- 

 vated commercially. 



2 33- Sugar Maize{Zea Mays var. rugosa Bonaf.). French: 

 mats ride ; German : Gekornelte niaiz. — Well defined by the 

 more or less crinkled, wrinkled, or shrivelled condition of the 

 grains and their translucent, horny appearance. Sturtevant 

 describes sixty-three sorts. 



The cultivation of sweet maize in place of the " bread 

 mielie " and the " field corns," for use as a green vegetable, is 

 slowly gaining ground in South Africa, and seed can now be 

 obtained from most of the local seedsmen. Until recently 

 difficulty has been found in obtaining good seed in South 

 Africa, as American-grown sugar maize loses its vitality in 

 transit. Good sugar maize ears bring as much as 20s. per bag 

 on the Johannesburg market at the very beginning of the 

 season (November and December), and should pay well at the 

 price. 



Sugar maize is extensively used in the United States for 

 canning, and in the State of Maine is grown as a field crop for 

 this purpose, in localities which are too far north for the seed 

 to ripen. A number of the early-maturing breeds ripen their 

 crop as far north as Ottawa, Canada. Sugar maize is but little 

 grown in the Southern States, and apparently improves in 

 quality as it proceeds northward. The grain ripens on the 

 cob even when plucked at an early stage of edible maturity 

 {Sturtevant, 2). 



234. The Agricultural Breeds. — Botanical varieties produce 

 cultural "breeds" or "races". It is said that in 1814 there 

 were only five breeds of maize known in the United States, 

 viz., Big Yellow, Big White, Little Yellow, Little White, and 

 Gourd Seed ; but by 1840 nearly forty breeds were recognized ; 

 and at least one of those grown at the present day, viz., Learn- 

 ing, originated before that date. 



Sturtevant (2) in 1894 described over 500 cultivated breeds 

 of maize ; to these many have since been added, while others 

 have dropped out of cultivation. These 500 were grouped as 

 follows : — 



