402 



MAIZE 



MAIZE 



breaking its way through the coleorhiza, which 

 remains as a circular collar about its upper part, 

 and then the plumule elongates. The cotyledon re- 

 mains yellowish green and membranous, while the 

 leaves enwrapped by it elongate and assume a 

 bright green color. Coincident with this develop- 

 ment of the plumule, a considerable number of 

 secondary adventitious roots arise, so that the 

 primary root soon loses its identity. 



Classification of species-groups or " agricultural 



Several well-marked agricultural races of Indian 

 corn may be distinguished. The asterisk (*) indi- 

 cates Mays understood. The classification is that 

 of Dr. E. L. Sturtevant: 



(1) Zea eanina, Watson. Maiz de Coyote, a re- 

 puted wild form from Mexico. The writer has abun- 

 dantly proved that this so-called wild species is a 

 hybrid of the fourth or fifth generation produced 

 by crossing teosinte and the black Mexican corn. 



(2) Zea * tunicata. Pod Corn. In this group each 

 kernel is inclosed in a pod, or husks surround it, 

 and the ear thus formed is inclosed in husks. 

 Originally it was probably derived from Argentina 

 in South America. (Fig. 598.) 



(3) Zea * everta. Pop Corn. This species-group 

 is characterized by the excessive proportion of the 

 corneous endosperm and the small size of the ear 

 and kernel. The best varieties have the corneous 

 endosperm throughout, which gives the property 

 of popping. Probably cultivated by the Indians. 



(4) Zea * indurata. Flint Corn. A species-group 

 recognized by the occurrence of a starchy endo- 

 sperm, inclosed in a corneous endosperm, which 

 varies in thickness in different varieties. First 

 mentioned by Cartier in 1535 and Heriot in 1588. 



(5) Zea * indentata. Dent Corn. A group recog- 

 nized by the presence of corneous endosperm at the 

 sides of the kernel, the starchy reserve food ex- 



tending to the summit. By the drying and shrinkage 

 of the starchy endosperm, an indentation is formed. 

 Cultivated as poketawes by the Powhatan Indians. 



(6) Zea * amylacea. Soft Corn. These corns are 

 recognized by the absence of a corneous reserve 

 food. The mummy corns of Chili and Peru belong 

 to this class. 



(7) Zea * saccharata. Sweet Corn. A well-defined 

 species-group characterized by the translucent, 

 horny appearance of the kernels and their more or 

 less crinkled, wrinkled or shriveled condition. The 

 first sweet corn cultivated in America was derived 

 from the Susquehanna Indians in 1779 by Captain 

 Richard Begnall, who accompanied General Sullivan 

 on his expedition to subdue the Six Nations. 



(8) Zea * amylea-saecharata. Starchy-sweet Com. 

 The external appearance of the kernel is that of a 

 sweet corn, but examination shows that the lower 

 half of the kernel is starchy, the upper half horny 

 and translucent. May it not be due to xenia? 

 This species is based on three varieties found in 

 the San Pedro Indian collection of Dr. Palmer, sent 

 to Dr. E. L. Sturtevant in 1886. 



Maize is exceedingly variable in every part. 

 Therefore it adapts itself to great numbers of uses 

 and to wide ranges of territory. Some of the 

 forms of it are shown in the half-tone plate and 

 also in Pigs. 597-613. 



Maize-Growing. 



By C. P. Hartley. 



The corn crop is preeminently the most valuable 

 crop of the United States. Through this crop there 

 is derived each year from the soil of the United 

 States a value of more than a billion dollars. If 



Fie. 607. Ear of corn, ehowmg tendency to lamlnats. 



Fig. 608. Corn triplets. 



