30 



THE VEGETABLES OF NEW YORK 



list of varieties existing at the time of its introduction 

 was confined to Papoon, Eight-rowed Early, Dwarf 

 Early and Sweet or Sugar. Noyes Darling wrote the 

 story of its origination to the Albany Cultivator from 

 New Haven, Connecticut, Nov. 18, 1844. This was 

 published in the Annual Report of the U. S. D. A. of 

 1845, page 446. The story of the steps taken to pro- 

 duce a new variety is most illuminating: The original 

 crossing, the segregation of the promising recombinations 

 and the selection and trial of the most promising line 

 until such time as it resulted in a pure or unmixed stock. 



The original cross must have been made about 1836. 

 Seed of a very early yellow corn was planted in a patch 

 of sweet or shrivelled corn " then considerably grown." 

 The tops or blossoms of the yellow corn were cut off in 

 order that the early corn might be impregnated only by 

 the sweet corn. The result the first year was yellow 

 corn of the usual size and appearance, although a mixture 

 of yellow and white smooth corn and sweet or shrivelled 

 corn occurred on some cobs. The third year planting 

 (from smooth and shrivelled seed planted separately) 

 produced ears for the most part that corresponded with 

 the kernels planted. There was a slight mixing of the 

 shrivelled on the smooth and of the smooth on the 

 shrivelled. 



The next year the two kinds were again planted 

 separately and the smooth corn produced its like as did 

 the shrivelled. The latter had the disadvantage of being 

 yellow, but was earlier than common sweet corn and 

 equally palatable. Was this the precursor of Golden 

 Nugget and Golden Bantam? Its value was not appreci- 

 ated and it was accordingly dropped from further con- 

 sideration. The fifth year white and yellow smooth 

 corns were planted separately and the earliness of the 

 separate plants carefully watched. The sixth year, 

 the early and late were planted separately and upon a 

 few ears of the earliest variety a few scattering kernels 

 of a white sweet corn were noticed. These were care- 

 fully picked out and planted by themselves. The result 

 was a white sweet corn fit for boiling July 18. 



Mr. Darling closed his remarks with, " My object 

 in instituting this experiment having been to obtain 

 a corn suitable in color and early maturity for marketing, 

 I discarded the yellow varieties closing the experiment 

 in possession of an eight -rowed sweet corn with ears 

 6 to 7 inches long and fit for boiling 18th July fin 1844, 

 14th)." This corn became Darling's Early listed by 

 Hovey & Co. in 1859 and others. It was one of the 

 varieties described by Burr in 1863 and was one of four 

 varieties named by Henderson in 1867. It was listed 

 until the last decade of the century when a number of 

 varieties of similar type were introduced differing only 

 slightly from the original Darling's Early. 



The brief description included in this account is a 

 compilation of data from several sources, and will 

 serve to indicate the type which was subsequently 

 selected by seedsmen. 



Plant moderately tall, 5}. .-7 feet; stalks slender. Tassel 

 slender with laterals decidedly drooping. Ears borne 22-28 inches 

 from the ground, possess few short husk leaves. Dried ear medium 



long, 6-8 x l :! s -l?s inches, nearly cylindrical, frequently somewhat 

 curved; rows 8, regular, pairs distinct. Kernels at dry stage whitish 

 amber, broader than long, 107 seeds per oz. ; crown distinctly 

 rounded, surface rather abundantly wrinkled; set tightly in the 

 row. 



Delicious. Refs. 38, 267, 358, 502, 519. 



Delicious as the name of a variety of sweet corn 

 has been used by three different seed companies. The 

 first to appear was Michell's Delicious introduced in 

 1899 by Henry F. Michell Co. of Philadelphia. This 

 was a second early which had been selected by an 

 old Philadelphia gardener and carefully selected for 

 well filled ears and pearly whiteness of kernel. The 

 variety has been perpetuated by Michell and is still 

 listed among the medium sugar corns. 



The Holmes Seed Company of Harrisburg, Pennsyl- 

 vania, named and introduced Holmes' Delicious in 1907. 

 This came from Wm. K. Harris, a Philadelphia florist and 

 gardener who believed it to be the most delicious corn 

 ever. This variety, as Holmes' Delicious, was also 

 listed in 1911 by Gregory. When the Holmes Seed 

 & Nursery Co. was discontinued in 1923, the strain was 

 lost but has since been reoffered by the Holmes Seed Co. 

 of Canton, Ohio. 



Delicious, Burpee. Refs. 83, 348, 534. Syn. Early 

 White. 



The most recent introduction of a sweet corn by 

 this name was by the W. Atlee Burpee Co. of Philadelphia 

 in 1924. 



This had originated with Dr. Herbert Hoffman of 

 Merchantville, New Jersey, who at the same time had 

 begun the selection work which resulted in its com- 

 panion variety, Sunnybrook. Both came from a single 

 ear of Bantam type bearing yellow and white kernels 

 found in a planting of Golden Bantam. Eight years of 

 selection followed, and " this was ready to introduce 

 as a white sort, similar to Golden Bantam in quality," 

 although much later in season and with larger ear. 



Ninety-four days were required for edible ears 

 to be produced at Geneva. This was 3 days earlier 

 than Hickox, in season with Nector and 6 days later 

 than Howling Mob. The plants are about one foot 

 shorter than those of Hickox, having shorter internodes 

 and a greater tendency to tiller. The husked ears are 

 much alike, although Delicious will often have more 

 rows. In the dry stage the kernels of Delicious appear 

 whiter and less amber colored, and are slightly broader. 

 This variety is grown chiefly for the market and home 

 garden, although it appears to have as much in its 

 favor from the standpoint of appearance, vigor and 

 number of ears per plant as Hickox, a variety used 

 widely for canning. 



Plant moderately tall, 6-7 feet; stalks moderately heavy and 

 straight; nodes 12-13, covered, not prominent. Brace roots present, 

 moderately heavy, whorl complete and useful on one node. Tillers 

 many, slightly shorter than central stalk. Leaves moderately 

 long and medium broad, 30-32 x 3} 2—4 inches; sheath longer than 

 internode. Tassel moderately long and moderately slender, 18-20 

 inches; terminal spike erect; lateral spikelets horizontal to slightly 

 drooping, moderately many, medium long, rather crowded and 

 multi-branched; bracts green, sparsely striped with pale red; 



