DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES 



63 



Hybrid was one of these varieties, the history of which 

 is taken from Bulletin No. 96 of the Maryland Agri- 

 cultural Experiment Station: " In the year 1878 the 

 crop of sweet corn at Roslyn Farm consisted of about 

 30 acres, nearly half of which was planted from improved 

 seed of Stowell's Evergreen, and the remainder was of the 

 variety known originally as Burr's Mammoth. A care- 

 ful comparative study of these 2 varieties showed that 

 each possessed certain points of superiority which the 

 other did not. In the autumn while selecting seed the 

 thought occurred that it might be possible to produce a 

 hybrid from these two varieties. Five ears of Stowell's 

 and seven of Mammoth satisfied all requirements and 

 were saved. In the spring of 1879 this seed was planted, 

 the first row to Stowell's and the second to Mammoth 

 and so on until the seed was used up. When the tassels 

 began to appear they were removed from the rows of 

 Stowell's leaving the Mammoth intact. Seed was 

 saved from the Mammoth rows and in the spring of 

 1880. 3 varieties. Mammoth, Stowell's and the Hybrid 

 were planted. At the close of the season it was per- 

 fectly evident that the Hybrid was far superior to the 

 others and in succeeding years selection of this stock 

 was made each year and called Roslyn Hybrid." 



The new variety was rather slow in getting into 

 trade channels, but was listed by Henderson in 1892, 

 Thorburn in 1893, and Dreer in 1894. 



Plant tall, 7-8 feet, stalks heavy; foliage abundant. Tillers 

 few. Tassel long, heavy, stiff, multi-branched. Ears borne 24-30 

 inches from the ground. Husked ear long and plump, 8-10 x 1 7 „- 

 2' 4 inches, moderately tapering: base compressed; tip rounded and 

 nearly capped: rows 12-16, straight, regular. Kernels at milk 

 stage white, moderately narrow and deep; at dry stage dull amber 

 white. 1*4 times as long as broad; surface wrinkled; set rather 

 loosely on cob. 



Ruby. Refs. 2, 53, 65, 75, 90, 91, 94, 238, 350, 367, 

 405, 408, 411, 503, 511, 514, 533, 536. Syns. 

 Improved Ruby, Ruby Sugar, Ruby Sweet. 



Ruby as originally introduced was entirely distinct 

 from other varieties by reason of the stalks and husks, 

 which were of a very handsome dark red color giving it 

 an odd and beautiful appearance in growth. C. N. 

 Brackett of Newton, Massachusetts, originated this new 

 corn and sold seed from his reselected stock to W. Atlee 

 Burpee who offered it in 1892. A previous introduction 

 of the variety in 1888 had been premature because less 

 than half of the plants came true from seed. Burpee 

 called his introduction Improved Ruby and featured it 

 until 1903. The only other sort having similar color char- 

 acteristics, which had appeared previously, was Farmer's 

 Club, a much smaller growing variety. 



The records of the Massachusetts Horticultural 

 Society for 1888 show that a First Class Certificate of 

 Merit was awarded C. N. Brackett, Chairman of the 

 Committee on Vegetables of the Massachusetts Horti- 

 cultural Society from 1866 to 1898, for Ruby Sweet 

 Com, a new and novel variety, originating with him, 

 with ruby-colored husks and stalks and pure white 

 kernels of excellent quality. Ruby was more of a 

 novelty than a practical variety and its use was largely 

 by the home gardener and amateur horticulturist. 



Plant tall, 6-8 feet, stalks heavy; foliage abundant and large, 

 dark red in color. Tillers many, nearly as tall as central stalk. 

 Tassel long, laterals many, drooping and crowded. Ears borne 

 2 I 10 inches from the ground; husks dark red in color; husked ears 

 moderately long and plump, 8-9 x 1 " „ 2 > 4 inches, moderately 

 tapering; tip rounded to abruptly tapering; rows 12-16, moderately 

 straight at medial and apex but usually somewhat irregular at the 

 base. Kernels in milk stage creamy white, at dry stage dull white, 

 large, longer than broad, decidedly thick; crown slightly rounded; 

 surface wrinkled; set rather loosely on purplish white cob. 



Saunders. Refs. 386, 568. Syns. " Second Early, " 

 Saunders' Second Early. 

 S. D. Woodruff introduced a variety of sweet 

 corn in 1907 which he called Saunders, after the name 

 of the man near Albany, New York, from whom the 

 stock seed was obtained. Although the introducer 

 speaks of it as a hybrid, the exact parentage is not 

 mentioned. Concerning the variety the introducers 

 write, " An extra early, part red and part white cob 

 with an ear 40 per cent larger than Red Cory, full as 

 early and wonderfully sweeter and more prolific." 

 It was also listed the same year by J. F. Noll and Co. 

 of Newark, New Jersey. Both companies, however, 

 discontinued it 2 years later. 



September Morn. Ref. 134. 



This large, many-rowed variety originated with 

 V. H. Neilsen of Council Bluffs, Iowa, as the result 

 of a cross involving Country Gentleman and Stowell's 

 Evergreen. After 5 years of selection to obtain a 

 stock with straight rows that still retained the depth 

 of kernel characteristic of Country Gentleman, the 

 variety was transferred to the Di Giorgi Brothers of 

 the same city who introduced it about 1917 and have 

 since continued to list it. 



At Geneva it produced edible ears in about 100 days, 

 a few days later than Stowell's Evergreen and Country 

 Gentleman. In many ways it resembled a stock of 

 Narrow-grained Evergreen, since a large number of 

 narrow rows was its outstanding characteristic. 



Plant tall, 7-8 feet, stalks heavy and straight; tillers few. 

 Ears borne at 5th and 6th nodes, one and two per stalk; husks 

 many, very heavy and tightly wrapped. Husked ears moderately 

 long and plump, 8-9 x 2-2'^ inches, slightly tapering; rows 18-24, 

 usually regular. Kernels at milk stage white, very narrow, thin 

 and deep. 



Shakers. Refs. 22, 61, 73, 89, 91, 126, 207, 208, 214, 

 238, 241, 278, 328, 329, 350, 368, 401, 403, 411, 

 503, 508, 512, 533, 536. Syns. " Aspinwall, " 

 Shaker's Early, Shaker's Early Sweet, Shaker's 

 Large Early. 

 This sweet corn, a superb early variety in its day, 

 originated among the Shakers in New York State and 

 was introduced about 1888 by J. M. Thorburn & Co. 

 of New York City. As first offered this was a fine- 

 appearing sort with large 12-rowed ears well filled, in 

 season in the interval between Crosby and Stowell's 

 Evergreen. 



In 1910, Aspinwall, similar to and a selection from 

 Shakers, was put on the market by William F. Aspinwall 

 of Loudon ville. New York, and also by the South Family 

 of Shakers. This was listed in 1913 by the George H. 



