30 FIELD CROP PRODUCTION 



coast of Peru in South America. Almost all authorities 

 believe that corn is a native of the Western Hemisphere, 

 probably having its origin in what is now Mexico. Com 

 was not known in the Old World until after the discovery 

 of America. It seems to have been first introduced into 

 the countries bordering the Mediterranean, possibly 

 by a ship sailing in from America and stopping at the 

 various ports of the countries along the coast. From 

 these ports it spread into adjoining countries, and car- 

 ried with it the name of the country from which it was 

 introduced. Thus it was known by such names as Span- 

 ish wheat, Italian wheat, Egyptian wheat, Turkish 

 corn, Barbary wheat, and other similar titles. The 

 names thus received have sometimes led to confusion as 

 to its origin. When first introduced into these and adjoin- 

 ing countries, it spread rapidly ; but its usefulness does 

 not seem to have been appreciated, excepting in Spain 

 and Portugal ; elsewhere it was gro\vn as a curiosity until 

 the last century. 



26. Botanical characters. — Corn, Zea Mays, is a 

 large rank growing plant, belonging to the genus Zea of 

 the grass family. It has no close relatives either among 

 cultivated or wild grasses, and it is therefore quite different 

 from the other familiar cereals as to the structure and 

 arrangements of its parts, and in many other respects. 

 On account of its sensitiveness to frost, corn cannot be 

 planted so that it will make part of its growth in the fall, 

 live over the winter like wheat or rye, and complete its 

 growth and produce seed the following spring and summer. 

 It is therefore called a spring annual. 



27. The roots. — The roots of the corn plant may be 

 divided into three separate groups, namely, the temporary, 

 the permanent feeding roots, and the brace roots. When the 



