66 



THE VEGETABLES OF NEW YORK 



listing of the variety is not known, but the name Stowell's 

 Evergreen was used, among others, in the catalogs of J. 

 M. Thorburn & Co., 1856: Robert Buist. 1859; Hovey & 

 Co.. 1859; and R. H. Allen & Co., 1860. In some of the 

 early catalogs the name Evergreen Sweet was used and 

 lacking other evidence must be considered the same as 

 Stowell's. 



The first names added to the list published in 1848 

 by J. H. Salisbury were Darling's Early, Old Colony, 

 and Stowell's Evergreen. The two latter varieties have 

 had a very similar history. 



Prof. Mapes of Newark, New Jersey, in the Work- 

 ing Farmer of 1850, gives the history as follows: " This 

 corn is a hybrid between Menomony soft corn and the 

 northern Sugar corn and was first grown by Mr. Nathan 

 Stowell of Burlington, N. J. We purchased from Mr. S. 

 a number of ears dried for seed and he presented us 

 with a few ears surrounded by the husks, grown the 

 previous summer, the inner leaves of the husks of which, 

 and the corn and cob, were in as green a state as when 

 pulled the previous August. Near the close of the 

 late fair of the American institute, I presented the 

 managers with two ears pulled in August 1849, and 

 twelve ears pulled in August 1850. They were boiled 

 and served up together and appeared to be alike, and 

 equal to corn fresh from the garden." 



At Geneva this old favorite came into production in 

 98 days. 1 day later than Country Gentleman, in season 

 with Narrow Grained Evergreen, and 2 days earlier 

 than Late Mammoth. The plants are much like those 

 of Narrow Grained Evergreen, possibly slightly more 

 slender, with more tendency to tiller and have somewhat 

 darker green tassels. The husked ears are about the 

 same size, more tapering, and contain 6 to 8 less rows 

 of kernels. The kernels are decidedly broader and 

 usually somewhat mere irregular in appearance. In the 

 dry stage the crown is distinctly converging, a character 

 not present in most varieties. Stowell's Evergreen has 

 long been one of the " old guard " in sweet corn collec- 

 tions. It is probably the most widely known and appre- 

 ciated variety ever to be introduced and as such has 

 been traditional among amateur and professional gard- 

 eners alike. All other late crop sweet corns have been 

 and continue to be compared to it in respect to its many 

 desirable qualities. It has been equally successful when 

 used in the home garden, the market garden, and for 

 the canning industry. 



Plant tall, 7j£-8 feet: stalks moderately heavy; nodes 12-14, 

 usually exposed, prominent; brace roots present, moderately slender, 

 complete on one node, useful. Tillers moderately many, some- 

 what shorter than central stalk. Leaves long and medium broad, 

 33-35 x 3' 4 -3 3 i inches; sheath shorter than and occasionally equal 

 to internode. Tassel moderately long and heavy, 18-20 inches; 

 terminal spike erect; lateral spikelets horizontal to moderately erect, 

 medium in number, long and somewhat crowded; bracts green, 

 sparsely striped with red; anthers mostly dull yellow chamois to 

 old gold ; 73-74 days to anthesis. 



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

 ears per stalk. Shank moderately long and heavy, 5-7 inches. 

 Husks medium in number, moderately short, rather tightly wrapped. 

 Silk pale red to amber, abundant, moderately long and easily 

 removed. Husked car moderately long and plump, 8-9 s." 



inches, slightly tapering; base enlarged and compressed; tip abruptly 

 conical and slightly exposed; rows 16-13, straight, regular, crowded 

 around the cob. 



Kernels at milk stage silvery white, large, medium width and 

 very deep; at dry stage opalescent white, large, moderately wide, 

 long and thin, 1.44 x .93 x .32 cm. (112 seeds per oz.\ somewhat 

 rectangular in shape; crown converging; surface exceedingly deep 

 and coarsely wrinkled, irregularly crease dented; set very loose on 

 cob. 



Suiinyslope Special. Refs. 335, 495. Syn. Sunny- 

 slope. 

 This variety was developed by Arthur L. Richie 

 cf Riverton. New Jersey, from a cross between Howling 

 Mob and Floracroft Beauty. These varieties were 

 planted in adjacent plots in a trial in 1911 and allowed to 

 interpollinate. By 1916 a new strain coming from the 

 cross w^as sufficiently fixed for inspection and a trial 

 was arranged in which other early varieties grown for 

 the Philadelphia market were planted. Several seeds- 

 men saw this trial and were favorably impressed by the 

 comparative eariiness and size of the cross. The World 

 War delayed its introduction except in a local way until 

 1924, when the Stokes Co. listed it as a second early 

 variety, but discontinued it in 1927. 



Surprise. Refs. 183, 304, 345, 348, 478. Syns. Early 

 Honeysuckle, Early Surprise, Extra Early Sur- 

 prise, Pioneer. 



According to the Descriptive Catalogue of 

 Vegetables issued by the Associated Seed Growers, 

 New Haven. Connecticut, this variety was developed by 

 them from Early Mayflower and introduced in 1927. It 

 is quite possible that the stocks were offered a few years 

 previously, for Early Surprise was listed by Fottler, 

 Fiske and Rawson in 1925; by Breck and Fiske in 1926; 

 and as Pioneer by Forbes in 1926. Early Honeysuckle, 

 which was offered by Kendall and Whitney in 1922, also 

 appeared to be much like present-day stocks of Surprise 

 as sold by this company. Early Surprise is another 

 variety which traces its parentage back to Mammoth 

 White Cory which, in its type, stands back of all present- 

 day, early, large-eared, white varieties. 



At Geneva 77 days were required for this variety 

 to reach edible maturity. This proved to be 2 days 

 earlier than Pocohontas, 2 days later than Early May- 

 flower, and 3 days earlier than Mammoth White Cory. 

 The plants are much the same as Pocohontas but less 

 inclined to tiller. The ears have much shorter and 

 lighter husk leaves and somewhat shorter husks, while 

 the husked ears are slightly shorter. The resemblance 

 of the two varieties is striking and except for minor 

 differences can be considered as closely related. Surprise 

 is used to a considerable extent in northeastern United 

 States where it is grown successfully as a home and 

 market garden sort. 



Plant moderately short, 4'j'-5 feet; stalks slender, zigzag; 

 nodes 7-9, exposed, prominent. Tillers few, much shorter than 

 central stall:. Leaves moderately short and medium broad, 25-27 x 



• inches: sheath shorter than internodes. Tassel moderately 

 long and slender, 18-20 inches; terminal spike erect; lateral spikelets 

 nearly erect, many, short and crowded; bracts green, sparsely 

 striped with light red: anthers reddish bronze (.terra cotta to 

 vinaceous red); 56-58 days to anthesis. 



