DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES 



29 



pattern, however, it does bear resemblance to some of 

 the evergreen varieties. 



Many writers consider it unsurpassed in quality; 

 certainly its use gained for the Maine sweet corn canners 

 a reputation for unusual quality and excellence. Gregory 

 in 1869 says. " Most every early variety of sweet corn 

 is too small for market, this is 12 and sometimes 14 

 rowed, of good market size, and very sweet. Crosby's 

 Early is the standard in Boston Market." Crosby 

 itself was sometimes known as Boston Market, being 

 so listed in 1868 by Curtis and Cobb and in 1871 by 

 H. E. Acker. There are many existing strains of this 

 well known variety but the original qualities which 

 made it so individual remain in present day stocks. 



At Geneva 87 days were required for this variety 

 to produce edible ears. This proved to be 1 or 2 days 

 later than Minnesota Crosby, in season with Alameda 

 and Howling Mob, and 3 days earlier than Quincy 

 Market. The plants are considerably more slender and 

 1 1 ' 2 feet shorter than those of Howling Mob; likewise 

 the tassel, altho of equal length, is much more slender 

 and feathery than that of Howling Mob. The husked 

 ears differ from other varieties in possessing very small, 

 more uniformly sized and shaped kernels, straighter 

 rows and more abruptly rounded, more uniformly 

 and well filled tips. The compactness of the kernels 

 and rows is only approached by some near relative 

 of Crosby such as Quincy Market. Crosby has been 

 widely accepted and grown for the canning industry 

 particularly in the northeastern part of the United 

 States. In the New England states it is the lead- 

 ing variety for this purpose, and has done much to 

 create the favorable reputation that Maine grown 

 canned sweet corn enjoys. 



Plant moderately tall, 5' i 4-6 1 j feet; stalks slender, slightly- 

 zigzag: nodes 10-12, moderately exposed, somewhat prominent; 

 internodes streaked with red on exposed portions, especially at the 

 base of the nodes. Brace roots present, rather slender, not very 

 useful. Tillers many, much shorter than central stalk. Leaves 

 moderately short and moderately narrow, 26-28 x 3-3'j inches; 

 sheath shorter than internode. Tassel long and heavy, 20-22 

 inches, rather feathery: terminal spike erect; lateral spikelets 

 drooping, many, long, multi-branched and moderately crowded; 

 bracts green, moderately striped with red; anthers variable in 

 color; 63-64 days to anthesis. 



Ears borne at 3rd and 4th nodes, one and occasionally two 

 ears per stalk, one often a nubbin. Shank moderately long, 5-8 

 inches, slender but somewhat tough. Husk leaves many, long and 

 heavy. Husks moderately many, medium long, rather loosely 

 wrapped, easily removed. Husked ear medium long and moder- 

 ately plump, 7-8 x 1?4~2 inches, nearly cylindrical, slightly tapered; 

 base enlarged and compressed: tip abruptly conical; rows 12-16, 

 regular, straight, crowded around cob. 



Kernels at milk stage white, very small, narrow, rather thick 

 and deep: at dry stage opalescent white, moderately long and 

 narrow, .94 x .70 x .40 cm. 1 188 seeds per oz.), long triangular in 

 shape; crown nearly square; surface very finely, abundantly but 

 shallowly wrinkled; set nearly tight on white cob. 



A strain of Crosby known as Minnesota Crosby 

 is used in some sections as a canning variety. It is 

 not listed by the regular seedsmen inasmuch that its 

 use as a canning variety has limited it to growers with 

 that market. 



Crosby Minnesota came into production about the 

 same time as regular Crosby. The plants are slightly 

 taller than those of Crosby and possess ears that are 

 longer and more tapering, lacking the abruptly conical 

 to rounded tip characteristic of Crosby. 

 Cupid. Refs. 263, 298, 345. Syns. New Cupid, Sugar 

 Sweet. 



" There is an old saw, often quoted to the effect 

 that ' good things come in small packages.' " This 

 was the foreword by which Peter Henderson & Co. 

 of New York introduced New Cupid in 1923. A few 

 ears of a surprisingly sweet corn were obtained in 1918 

 from M. A. Albertson of Nutley, New Jersey. They 

 were very small ears, about 2 * o inches in length, but were 

 very sweet. The ears were so small that there was 

 scarcely a mouthful on them, but by selection the size 

 was increased and the sweetness and tenderness retained. 

 Henderson changed the name Cupid to Sugarsweet in 

 1922 and again stressed its value as a corn for the road- 

 side stand or the sweet corn for the connoisseur. 



Cupid or Sugar Sweet produced edible ears at Geneva 

 in 80 days, 5 days later than Early June, in season with 

 Whipple's Early and 4 days earlier than Early Pearl. 

 The plants are 1-1 l o feet taller than those of Early June 

 with a decidedly greater tendency to tiller and with tassels 

 having both terminal and lateral spikelets longer and 

 more drooping. The husked ears are of equal length 

 but those of Cupid are somewhat more plump, contain 

 2—4 more rows of kernels and are decidedly more abruptly 

 conical to rounded at the tip. The edible product has 

 been found to be very tender and sweet. As a home 

 garden sort for those who desire variety, Cupid is worthy 

 of trial. 



Plant moderately short, 4};j-5 feet; stalk slender, straight; 

 nodes 7—9, covered, not prominent; internodes show exposed por- 

 tions streaked with light red. Tillers many present, slightly shorter 

 than central stalk, often terminate in a pistillate inflorescence, 

 occasionally bearing a small ear. Leaves moderately short and mod- 

 erately narrow, 25-28 x 3-3 ] 2 inches; sheath longer than internode. 

 Tassel moderately short and slender, 14—16 inches; terminal spike 

 erect, lateral spikelets slightly drooping, moderately many, short 

 and somewhat crowded; bracts green, rather heavily striped with 

 dark red; anthers golden yellow deep colonial buff to chamois); 

 58-62 days to anthesis. 



Ears borne at 3rd and 4th nodes, often two ears per stalk with 

 additional nubbins occasionally present. Shank short, 2-3 inches, 

 slender and moderately brittle. Husks moderately few, rather 

 light, loosely wrapped and easily removed. Silk moderately abund- 

 ant, decidedly long and uniformly red in color. Husked ear moder- 

 ately short and slender, 5-7 x 1 J 4 -l > ■< inches; nearly cylindrical, very 

 slightly tapering; base rounded; tips decidedly rounded and usually 

 capped: rows 10-12, straight, slightly irregular at base, crowded 

 around cob. 



Kernels at milk stage white, moderately small, medium wide, 



shallow and quite uniform; at dry stage opalescent white, small, 



narrow, short and thin, .9 x .8 x .38 cm. (.152 seeds per oz.); usually 



short triangular in shape; crown slightly rounded; surface often 



abundantly and finely wrinkled; set tightly on cob. 



Darling's Earl>. Refs. 45, 87, 89, 91, 255, 268, 269, 



343, 397, 410, 411, 412, 422, 428, 507, 508, 524, 



533, 537, 539. Syns. Darling, Darling's Sugar, 



Sugar Productive. 



" Darling's " is possibly the first proper name 

 to be associated with a variety of sweet corn. The 



