18 



THE VEGETABLES OF NEW YORK 



since the publication of Sturtevant's list in 1884. A 

 writer in the American Agriculturist of 1864 was lead 

 to say: "Sweet corn has run into a number of varieties, 

 distinguished by their time of maturity, size of ear, and 

 comparative sweetness." Nearly 30 years later, 1892, 

 another commentator wrote, " the list of sweet corns is 

 getting to be of wearisome length, but I do not see that 

 any real improvement is being made." What would 

 these individuals have written had they had the present 

 list at their command? 



The evolution of American varieties of sweet corn, 

 which up to 1900 consisted almost entirely of white 

 kerneled sorts, has several distinct eras, largely based 

 on popular opinion as to the most desirable sorts. The 

 first varieties of which we have any record were small 

 in plant and ear, the latter usually being 5 to 7 inches 

 long and possessing 8 to 10 rows of kernels. Up to 

 about 1890 earliness of season, usually associated with 

 dwarfness of plant, was the major consideration that 

 led to the success of a variety. Although a few large 

 eared sorts were in existence at this time, recombina- 

 tions from many crosses resulted in the production of 

 almost every conceivable combination of number of 

 rows, length and diameter of ear, color of cob and kernel, 

 and size and shape of kernel. Such a mixture induced 

 interested growers towards the selection of larger ears, 

 which at the same time retained the desirable character 

 of earliness. This was followed, and subsequently 

 continued to the present time by the development of 

 superior quality among varieties. With the introduc- 

 tion of Golden Bantam, the attributes of quality con- 

 sisted of the additional factor of attractive color in the 

 edible stage, as measured by consumer preference, as 

 well as such characters as sweetness, flavor and tender- 

 ness of pericarp. 



The justification for so divergent a collection of 

 modern sweet corn varieties is presumably based on 

 several factors. One of these is the localized market 

 preference for certain varieties. New York City has 

 long been partial to a very large ear, consequently such 

 varieties as Stowell's Evergreen, Long Island Beauty 

 and Late Mammoth are most popular in that as well 

 as in other large eastern cities. The prevalence of the 

 corn ear worm in certain sections has limited the number 

 of varieties profitably grown to those that offer greatest 

 morphological resistance to insect attack. Consequently 

 such varieties as Oregon Evergreen and Alameda Sweet 

 that have comparatively tight fitting husks at the tip, 

 are retained in southwestern United States as most 

 valuable for this purpose. The more northern areas 

 of the United States must necessarily, because of short- 

 ness of season, confine the varieties to the extreme early 

 ones. Such conditions, then, warrant the existence of 

 Alpha, Dighton, Pickaninny, Early Dow, Aroostock 

 Early and others. Similarly many varieties are brought 

 into existence and continued because of their superior 

 quality, even though certain other of their character- 

 istics as size of plant, color of ear, etc., may not be 

 exceptional. Likeness in one or more characters to an 

 old time favorite, or the apparent resistance to certain 



diseases and drought account for the existence of other 



varieties. 



Abbott & Cobb's Early. Refs. 2, 345. 



Abbott & Cobb of Philadelphia introduced this sweet 

 corn in 1927. It was first discovered in Bucks County at 

 their Pennypack Valley trial grounds growing in a field of 

 Kendel's Early Giant. Subsequent trials showed its 

 uniformity and remarkable adaptability to the growing 

 conditions of that famous Philadelphia market gardeners' 

 section. The Philadelphia region prefers a white corn 

 of fair size, as will be noted in looking at the names of 

 varieties listed by this company. 



At Geneva edible ears were produced in 92 days, 

 12 days later than Mammoth White Cory, in season 

 with Metropolitan and Early Evergreen, and 2 days 

 earlier than Delicious. The plants are 1-1 J _. feet 

 shorter than those of Metropolitan, less inclined to 

 tiller but have equally as long tassels. The husked 

 ears are 1-2 inches shorter, less plump, but contain 2-4 

 more rows of somewhat mere narrow kernels. 



Flant medium tall, 5-5 '-j feet; nodes 8-9, covered to slightly 

 exposed; tillers few to none; tassel moderately long and rather 

 coarse, 18-20 inches; lateral spikelets moderately many and crowded. 

 Ears borne at 4th and 5th nodes, 1 and occasionally 2 ears per stalk. 

 Husk leaves very few, short and light. Husked ear medium long, 

 medium plump, 7-8 x l? 4 -l 7 s inches; rows 12-14; kernels white; 

 medium size; in dry stage as broad as long, nearly square. 



Abolition. Ref. 217. 



The catalog of James J. H. Gregory, Marblehead, 

 Massachusetts, in the year 1885 briefly mentions this 

 variety of good size, reputed to be sweet and tender, and 

 suggests that it originated many years previous by cross- 

 ing the Mexican with some standard white variety. 



Acme. Refs. 22, 235, 238, 367, 368, 533, 535. Syns. 

 De Wolf's Early Acme, Early Acme. 

 The Gurney Seed & Nursery Company of Yankton, 

 South Dakota, found this new sort growing in the garden 

 of M. J. De Wolf and introduced it in 1922 the year that 

 kindly old gentleman celebrated his eightieth birthday. 

 It is a heavy producer and is a rival of many varieties of 

 field corn in this respect. A long ear of 12-14 rows is 

 ready only a few days later in season than Golden 

 Bantam. It has been continued by the Gurney Com- 

 pany as a valuable new creation of sweet corn and 

 apparently has many friends in the northern plains region. 



Alameda Sweet. Refs. 376, 380, 381. Syns. Alameda, 

 Early Alameda, Early Improved Dwarf Alameda. 



An early catalog of C. C. Morse & Co. 1907) 

 of San Francisco listed this variety as Early Mam- 

 moth or Alameda. Ey some the name Early Mam- 

 moth is still carried, although present stocks are 

 available which produce ears indicating a definite 

 separation between the two. The actual originator of 

 Alameda is not known, but its use in Alameda County, 

 California, has been very general for many years. 

 Market gardeners are believed to have developed the 

 variety by selection from Early Mammoth, a deviation 

 of the older Asylum corn. 



There have been several improved lines developed 

 by growers and seedsmen in California. The present 



