DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES 



59 



ish yellow in color. Husked ear moderately short and slender, 

 5-6 x l'v-l'j inches; moderately tapering; base often open; tip 

 conical, furrows deep and narrow; rows 8, paired rather noticeably, 

 moderately straight, somewhat irregular at the base. 



Kernels at milk stage white, soon turning to various shades of 

 gray and purple in the post milk period, thence to black in the full 

 dough stage; small, moderately broad and shallow; in the dry 

 stage black, small, broader than long, .81 x 1.06 x .37 cm. 1 1 52 seeds 

 per oz. | ; short broad oval ; crown rounded ; surface abundantly 

 wrinkled; set slightly loose on white cob. 



Pocahontas. Refs. 57, 225, 260, 335, 348. 



This variety, a selection from White Cob Cory, was 

 introduced by Peter Henderson and Company, New 

 York, who secured it from a New York gardener about 

 1905 and offered it in their catalog of 1907. Pocohontas 

 was obtained by the careful and painstaking effort of this 

 gardener to whom earliness meant all. His work was 

 eminently successful, for the variety had hosts of friends 

 who grew it for their first crop corn. In 1916, the 

 Joseph Harris Company offered a new Extra Early 

 Pocohontas which reputedly was even earlier than the 

 original. This variety has been particularly successful 

 in the New England district when grown for the Boston 

 Market. 



At Geneva 79 days were required to produce edible 

 ears. This was 2 days later than Surprise, 4 days later 

 than Early Mayflower, and 1 day earlier than Mammoth 

 White Cory. Pocohontas was much like Surprise, 

 although more inclined to tiller. The ears have much 

 longer and heavier husk leaves and somewhat longer 

 husks. The husked ears are slightly longer but other- 

 wise are much the same. For all practical purposes 

 the two are of similar utility, their use depending upon 

 personal opinion as to their value in any given area. 



Plant moderately short, 4' £-4J4 feet; stalk slender, moderately 

 straight; nodes 7-8, slightly exposed, moderately prominent. Brace 

 roots not present. Tillers many, somewhat shorter than central 

 stalk. Leaves medium long and narrow, 28-30 x 3-3 ' 2 inches; 

 sheath usually shorter than internode. Tassel medium long and 

 slender, 15-18 inches; terminal spike erect; lateral spikelets moder- 

 ately erect, many, short, crowded; bracts green, sparsely striped 

 with red; anthers variable in color; 60-62 days to anthesis. 



Ears borne at 2nd and 3rd nodes, one and occasionally two 

 ears per stalk, one often a nubbin. Husk leaves moderately many, 

 long and heavy. Husks moderately few, medium heavy, rather 

 tightly wrapped, easily removed. Husked ear medium long and 

 medium plump, 7-8 x 1 •'■ „ 1 :; j inches; moderately tapering, often 

 partly cylindrical; base compressed; tip rounded to abruptly conical; 

 rows 10-12, moderately straight, occasionally irregular at the base 

 or inclined toward spiral arrangement. 



Kernels at milk stage white, medium wide, thin and moderately 

 shallow; at dry stage dull creamy white, slightly wider than long, 

 small, .94 x 1.04 x .39 cm. 1 140 per oz.); short oval in shape; crown 

 rounded; surface sparsely and very shallowly wrinkled; set tightly 

 on cob. 



Portland Hybrid. Refs. 97, 238, 241, 388, 404, 503, 

 513, 516, 533. Syn. Portland. 

 Northrup, Braslan and Goodwin Company, Min- 

 neapolis, Minnesota, cataloged a variety in 1893 as Port- 

 land Hybrid. This evidently became known as Portland 

 and continued as such to 1921) soon after the change in 

 the firm name to Northrup King and Company. Other 

 than the descriptions and photographs in early catalogs, 

 we have no authentic information on this variety. 



Portland Market. Refs. 98, 204, 398, 400, 416. Syns. 

 Early Portland Market, Superb. 



The Gill Bros. Seed Company, Portland, Oregon, 

 introduced this variety in 1910 as the result of several 

 years careful selection and breeding from the Ferry 

 variety Oakview Market. For many years it was exceed- 

 ingly popular with local growers and is still grown to some 

 extent in the Pacific Northwest, but it is chiefly known 

 today as the variety from which Early Market was 

 selected. 



Edible ears were produced at Geneva in 75 days. 

 Five days later than Early Market, in season with Early 

 Mayflower and Alpha, and 4 days earlier than Poco- 

 hontas. Portland Market produces plants that are 

 1 to 1 1 2 feet taller than those of Early Market, slightly 

 heavier, much longer in tassel, and have decidedly 

 greater tendency to tiller. The husks are longer but 

 not quite as tightly wrapped. Husked ears will average 

 an inch longer and are somewhat more slender. The 

 rows are 2 to 4 less in number and the tip is less rounded 

 and more exposed. 



Plant medium tall, 5-6 feet; stalks moderately slender and 

 straight; nodes 9-10, exposed and prominent. Brace roots few 

 present, very slender and of little use. Tillers many, equal to or 

 slightly shorter than central stalk. Leaves moderately short and 

 medium broad, 25-28 x 3'_>-4 inches; sheath shorter than internode. 

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

 erect; lateral spikelets horizontal to somewhat erect, medium long, 

 many present, usually crowded; bracts and anthers variable in 

 color; 58-60 days to anthesis. 



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

 ears per stalk, one often a nubbin. Shank variable in length, 

 rather heavy. Husk leaves moderately many, rather long, light 

 and slender. Husks many, heavy, long and rather tightly wrapped. 

 Husked ear medium long and medium plump, 7-8 x 1 '■'■ £— 1 7 \ inches; 

 moderately tapering; base enlarged and moderately compressed, 

 occasionally open; tip conical and exposed, glumes very long; rows 

 10—12, moderately straight, occasionally somewhat irregular at 

 the base, crowded around the cob. 



Kernels at milk stage white, soon becoming creamy white, 

 medium size, rather shallow; at dry stage amber white; slightly 

 broader than long, thick, very prominent embryo extending to the 

 crown, 1.0 x 1.08 x .46 cm. (88 seeds per oz. >; oval in shape, crown 

 decidedly rounded to semicircular; surface rather abundantly but 

 shallowly wrinkled; set tightly on cob. 



Potter's Excelsior. Refs. 11, 22, 42, 51, 52, 59, 73, 

 74, 89, 91, 121, 126, 162, 168, 214, 238, 241, 338, 

 344, 350, 367, 368, 397, 403, 405, 411, 420, 431, 

 435, 436, 444, 445, 464, 503, 507, 508, 512, 528, 

 533, 535, 536, 537. Syns. Conqueror, Early Con- 

 queror, Early Excelsior, Excelsior, Excelsior Sugar, 

 Excelsior Sweet, Large Excelsior, Lucky Strike, 

 New Excelsior, Potter, Squantum, Squantum 

 Sugar, Squantum Sweet. 

 The name Excelsior seems to have been the first 

 used for this variety for it was listed by Thorburn 

 as such in 1861. The name Potter's Excelsior seems 

 to have been used first about 1878, but the earliest 

 catalog reference we have is that of Gregory in 1882. 

 Squantum as the name for this stock appeared about 

 1884 and was used by both Henderson and Gregory. 

 In a recent letter Edgar Gregory says, " We considered 

 Squantum Sugar the same as Potter's Excelsior. It 



