CHAPTER XVII 



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WEET corn is a species group of field com 

 known botanically as Zea saccharata, and is 

 characterized by horny, more or less wrinkled, 

 crinkled or shriveled kernels, having a semi- 

 transparent or translucent appearance. It is a native 

 of America, although the wild form has never 

 been discovered. It was first known about 1779, 

 but it was not until 1850 or thereabouts that it 

 was cultivated to any extent. At that time but two 

 varieties were known. It is pre-eminently a gar- 

 den vegetable, although the large growing kinds are 

 used for forage and feeding purposes. The kernels 

 are generally used green, also cut off the cob and dried 

 to some extent, but dried corn is being supplanted 

 largely by canned corn, the packing of which has 

 grown to enormous proportions in the past few years. 

 Although several million cases containing two dozen 

 Number 2 cans each are packed each year, it is almost 

 entirely consumed within the United States and Can- 

 ada ; the foreign market for canned com is capable of 

 large development. Each standard can weighs twenty, 

 six ounces, including tin. 



The production of corn for canneries is very im- 

 portant business in certain sections, notably in New 

 York, Maine, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and some other 

 states. It is grown by farmers as a field crop, who sell 

 the ears to the factory and use the stalks for feeding 

 purposes. As the ears are picked in their roasting 

 stage, the stalk has opportunity to develop and 



