DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES 



57 



The kernels in the dry stage are intermediate in width 

 between Narrow Grain and Stowell's Evergreen, lack 

 the converging crown, and are set more tightly on the 

 cob. It is used more for late sweet corn on the Pacific 

 Coast than any other variety. Its more tightly wrapped 

 and longer husks give it greater protection against the 

 com ear worm, a factor of great importance to the 

 industry in that section. It is of little importance in 

 other sections. 



Plant tall, 7-7 3 4 feet; stalks heavy and straight; nodes 12-14, 

 covered, not prominent. Brace roots present and complete on 

 one node, slender and useful. Tillers moderately many, slightly 

 shorter than central stalk. Leaves moderately long and medium 

 broad, 32-34 x S 1 ^-^ inches; sheath longer than internode. Tassel 

 moderately long and heavy, 18-20 inches; terminal spike erect; 

 lateral spikelets horizontal to slightly drooping, many, moderately 

 long, crowded and usually multi-branched; bracts green, very 

 sparsely striped with pale red; anthers buff colored (deep colonial 

 buff to pinard yellow); 72-74 days to anthesis. 



Ears borne at 5th and 6th nodes, one and occasionally two 

 ears per stalk. Shank short and heavy, 2-3 inches. Husk leaves 

 few and short. Husks many, moderately heavy, rather short, 

 tightly WTapped, difficult to remove. Husked ear long and plump, 

 9-10 x 2-2 ' v inches, moderately to decidedly tapering; base enlarged 

 and compressed; tip conical, slightly exposed to occasionally capped; 

 rows 14-16, moderately straight, occasionally somewhat spiral and 

 lost at the base, crowded around the cob. 



Kernels at milk stage white, medium size, rather narrow and 

 medium depth; at dry stage dull white, longer than wide, medium 

 size, 1.04 x .84 x .40 cm. (124 seeds per oz. ); triangular in shape; 

 crown slightly rounded; surface abundantly and often very finely 

 wrinkled; set slightly loose on cob. 



Papoon. Ref. 427. 



This was the name given to the corn brought 

 to Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1779 by Lieut. Richard 

 Bagnol, and is the first recorded sweet corn cultivated 

 by the white settlers. It came from the valley of 

 the Susquehanna in New York State at the time of 

 the expedition against the tribes of the Six Nations 

 under the command of General Sullivan. The color 

 of the cob of this corn was called " a bright crimson," 

 but the color of the dry seed was not given. C. N. 

 Bement, writing in 1853, says of this early Plymouth 

 corn, " There are two kinds of corn; one with the cob 

 red and the other with the cob white. The ears are 

 short and usually contain eight rows, the grains of which, 

 when mature, are of a light color and become shrivelled 

 and appear as if they were unripe." This must serve 

 as a description of the first recorded variety of sweet 

 corn of our civilization. It came from the Indian 

 farmers of the fertile lands of up-state New York and 

 was the forerunner of other varieties which came from 

 the same or other Indian sources. From these native 

 sweet corns and by crosses of these with the original 

 Indian varieties of field corns have come the hundreds of 

 named forms contained in this volume. 



Pee and Kay. Refs. 22, 73, 74, 89, 91, 94, 95, 96, 121, 



350, 368, 397, 411, 503, 508, 510, 511, 512, 533, 



536, 537, 538. Syn. Western Queen — Shumway. 



Price and Knickerbocker's Pee and Kay, named for 



the initials of the partners of this seed company, was 



introduced about 1885. This Albany seed company 



was responsible for several important sweet corn varieties, 



and listed all of the leading sorts in their catalogs. 

 On the market it proved to be very salable and hence 

 popular with both farmer and market gardener. No 

 historical information is available, but according to 

 descriptions it belonged in the same group with Asylum. 



Plant moderately tall, 6-6 }/£ feet; internodes short. Ears 

 medium long and plump, 6-8 x l :, 4 -2 inches; kernels large, nearly 

 broad as long, very thick; about 85 days to edible maturity. 



Peep O'Day. Refs. 77, 158, 238, 241, 242, 284, 298, 

 388, 406, 516, 517, 518, 533, 546. Syns. Improved 

 Peep O'Day, Queen of the Earliest. 



As an early variety, Peep O'Day was at one time 

 an important sort for the home and market gardener. 

 Introduced in 1901 by Northrup, King and Company, 

 it soon became popular in the Middle West. The 

 name itself was rather catchy and well suited to adver- 

 tising, for nothing, not even the " early bird," could 

 be ahead of the " peep of day." In several catalogs, 

 Burpee in 1909, Vaughan in 1919, the Dakota Improved 

 Seed Company in 1913, the similarity of this variety 

 and Malakhoff is especially noted. 



Eighty-four days were required for Peep O'Day 

 to produce edible ears at Geneva. This proved to be 

 4 days later than Whipple's Early, in season with 

 Kendel's Early Giant, and 4 days earlier than Howling 

 Mob. The plants are about 1 foot shorter than those 

 of Kendel's Early Giant, nodes more consistently promi- 

 nent, and tassel slightly shorter both in terminal and 

 lateral spikelets. Husked ears are about the same 

 length but slightly less plump and more tapering. 

 Peep O'Day was for several years a popular early market 

 and home garden variety. 



Plant medium tall, 5-5)2 feet; stalk moderately slender and 

 straight; nodes 9-10, covered, not prominent. Brace roots not 

 present. Tillers many, slightly shorter than central stalk. Leaves 

 medium long and moderately narrow, 28-30 x 3-3 }i inches; sheath 

 equal to and often longer than internode, slightly streaked with red 

 near the base. Tassel medium long and slender, 15-18 inches; 

 occasionally streaked with red at the base; terminal spike erect; 

 lateral spikelets horizontal to slightly drooping, moderately many, 

 rather short, crowded; bracts and anthers variable in color; 60-62 

 days to anthesis. 



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

 stalk, one usually a nubbin. Shank usually short and slender, 

 2-4 inches. Husks moderately many, medium long, rather tightly 

 wrapped but easily removed. Husked ear medium long and 

 medium plump, 7-8 x lj j,— ! 7 8 inches; moderately tapering; base 

 enlarged, slightly open; tip conical and exposed; rows 8-12, straight, 

 regular, 8-rowed ears show rows noticeably paired; furrows deep 

 and narrow. 



Kernels at milk stage white, medium size, rather shallow and 

 medium wide; at dry stage medium size, slightly longer than wide, 

 .92 x 1.0 x .38 cm. 1 140 seeds per oz.); triangular in shape; crown 

 slightly rounded; surface, moderately abundant, coarse and shal- 

 lowly wrinkled; set tightly on cob. 



Perfection. Refs. 22, 30, 273, 328, 370, 401, 403, 444, 

 485, 529. 

 The name " Perfection " has been used for several 

 strains or stocks of sweet corn. Among others we 

 have noted the following: Thorburn's Early White 

 Perfection, 1908; Low's Perfection, 1892; Scott's Early 

 Perfection, 1913; White Perfection from Beckert, 1913; 

 Perfection from Grey, 1914; Howard's Perfection, 1915; 



