154 INDIAN COEN. 



Indian Corn, Maize (Zea mays), is a true grass, 

 familiar to everybody in this country, and. by far the 

 most important and extensively cultivated of any plant 

 known to our agriculture. 



The practice of sowing Indian corn in drills, for the 

 .purpose of cutting up green for fodder, was recom- 

 mended some years ago by a progressive agriculturist, 

 and, though at first ridiculed, it soon came to be planted 

 in small patches of a few rods square, by practical 

 farmers here and there, till now it is regarded as almost 

 an indispensable crop, not only to carry a stock of 

 cattle through a severe summer drought, when our pas- 

 tures arc short and dry, but to cut and cure in large 

 quantities for winter use. The weight and value of an 

 acre of corn fodder is very large. 



A more extended notice of this plant will be given 

 in the next chapter. 



