VARIETIES ANJ> RREEDS 



29c, 



grain and earlier-maturing habit. Sometimes the io-row grain 

 is no broader than that of the 12-row, in which case the 12-row 

 is preferable where the climate suits it ; the t 2-row produces a 

 larger percentage of embryo than the io-row, and at Potchef- 

 stroom the latter has been discarded in favour of Hickory 

 Horsetooth. 



245. Iowa Silver-mine. — Figs. 

 106 and 107. Class : medium-early 

 white dent; rows, 14 or 16; length, 

 10 inches; circumference at 2 inches 

 from butt, 7 inches, from tip, 6 

 inches ; grain, medium wedge, pinch- 

 dented, very rough. 



A drought-resistant, early-matur- 

 ing breed, producing compact, heavy, 

 rough ears. It does not seem suited 

 to wet soils and climates, in which 

 its behaviour is exactly the opposite 

 of Boone County (Fig. 108). Iowa 

 Silver-mine was introduced by the 

 writer in 1905, from J. M. Thor- 

 burn and Co., New York, U.S.A. ; 

 it has given excellent results in the 

 drier parts of the South-western 

 Transvaal, in British Bechuanaland, 

 the Orange Free State and near 

 Aliwal North. It proves to be rich 

 in protein and horny endosperm, 

 and is therefore well suited for the 

 manufacture of samp, and makes a 

 nutritious mielie-meal if "whole- 

 ground ". 



An improved strain of Silver- 

 mine, known as Johnson County, was introduced by the writer 

 a few years ago, and has been widely distributed and used to 

 cross into the acclimatized strain. 



A strain of Silver-mine from Illinois, U.S.A., was intro- 

 duced into Natal some years ago, and is said to have become 

 a favourite there, standing next to Boone County in point of 

 yield. 



CHAP. 



VII. 



Fig. 106. — Iowa Silver-mine, 

 a prize ear. 



