34 THE BOOK OF CORN 



prove the local kind. The two kinds were seldom 

 planted far enough apart to prevent cross-fertilization, 

 and the result was a new type in the course of a few 

 years. The tendency, in bringing a certain variety 

 south, has been to shorten the season of growth, and 

 then to gradually increase the size and length of the 

 ears as the corn became acclimated. By slightly short- 

 ening the season of growth even partial failures became 

 rare, and the same kind was thus maintained on one 

 farm for a long period of years. These flint sorts were 

 commonly known as Improved Canada Eight-Rowed, 

 but after a time many took the name of the owner of 

 the farm where they had been grown; as the "Asher 

 Wright" corn, the "Brainard" corn or the "Warren" 

 corn. 



A good example of this type of corn is represented 

 by the "Doolittle" Improved Canada. The kernels are 

 large and firm on the cob ; length of ear nine and five- 

 tenths inches, diameter at the butt one and seven-tenths 

 inches ; ear tapering but slightly ; night of stalk seven 

 to seven and five-tenths feet ; season one hundred and 

 ten to one hundred and twenty days. This general 

 description will fairly cover the characteristics of sev- 

 eral other varieties of Improved Canada flints of 

 local repute, which have developed well-fixed types, 

 by growing for a long period under uniform con- 

 ditions. About the only differences found in many 

 of these varieties are in the length and uniformity of 

 the ears. The longer a variety has existed on one farm 

 and the greater the care used in selecting the seed, the 

 more uniform will be the ears. The white flint corn 

 is essentially the same as the Improved Canada, except 

 that the kernels are a pale cream-white, and are often 

 more flinty than the yellow flints. The white flints are 

 grown on some farms because they are preferred for 

 making hominy. In the typical Improved Canada 



