12 INDIAN CORN CULTURE. 



CHAPTER II. 



BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS. 



Indian corn is known by botanists as Zea 

 mays.. It belongs to the grass family and is an 

 annual plant. It is classed as an endogenous 

 plant for the reason that it increases in height 

 and diameter of stem by internal growth. 



-p. The root is of two classes, primary and sec- 

 ondary. The former is fine and fibrous, and 

 in the field the plant produces a large mass of 

 these roots. No long tap root is developed; 

 consequently, as with the grasses generally, the 

 roots branch out in all directions rather near 

 the surface. For this reason shallow cultiva- 



- tion of the growing crop is advocated, as break- 

 ing the roots is deemed an injury to the grow- 

 ing plant. 



In interesting experiments conducted by 

 Prof. F. H. King at the Wisconsin experimetit 

 station* upon the development of corn roots 

 in natural soils under the conditions of field cul- 

 tivation, he washed out plants at different stages 



* Ninth annual report Wisconsin experiment station, 1892, 

 p. 112. 



