DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES 



71 



and on some markets the preference for yellow varieties 

 today amounts to nearly complete exclusion of white 

 varieties. However, there are many who prefer the 

 white varieties and there will continue to be many 

 excellent sorts that can compete successfully with their 

 yellow cousins in growth, yield, attractiveness of ear, 

 and quality. Over 150 named yellow sorts were grown 

 and studied for this work and 48 have been considered 

 distinct and given at least a brief description. 



As the number of white varieties increased, so also 

 did the types or forms increase. This same increase in 

 forms is noted for the yellow corns, and while it is true 

 that there are certain types of white sweet corn that 

 as yet do not have their counterpart in a yellow-kerneled 

 variety, yet with each succeeding decade and as the 

 number of varieties increases, we find individual yellow 

 varieties able to match in size, appearance, season, 

 quality, etc., similar varieties among the whites. 



THE YELLOW VARIETIES OF SWEET CORN 



Bantam Evergreen. Refs. 31, 117, 136, 150, 191, 

 192, 209, 335, 345, 357, 492, 525, 562. Syns. 

 Delicious Bantam, Early Golden Sugar, Golden 

 Evergreen, Golden Giant Evergreen, " Golden 

 Rod," " Golden Sugar," Gclden Sunburst, Jumbo 

 Gold. Illus. 25. 

 Frederick B. Clark of the Everett B. Clark Seed 

 Co., Milford. Connecticut, planted seed of Golden 

 Bantam throughout a field of Stowell's Evergreen. The 

 cross-pollination was continued fcr several generations 

 until the dominant golden color became fixed. Selec- 

 tions were made over a period of 6 years and a new type 

 chesen with the color and quality of the Golden Bantam 

 and the kernel pattern and size of Stowell's Evergreen. 

 It was ready in 1910, but was not popularized until 1913 

 when the Vaughan Seed Store of Chicago, Illinois, 

 featured the new introduction as Bantam Evergreen. 

 Since that time it has had wide distribution and has been 

 freely recommended and widely cultivated as a large- 

 eared yellow corn. In some sections it is known as 

 Golden Evergreen, a name first used about 1915. 



By some, Golden Evergreen is thought to have had 

 an origin independent of Bantam Evergreen. One 

 strain was introduced in 1917 by Beckert's Seed Store 

 of Pittsburgh. This came from a cross of Golden Ban- 

 tam and White Evergreen. Charles Coolidge of Phelps, 

 New York, crossed Stowell's Evergreen and Sweet Orange 

 just previous to the introduction of Bantam Evergreen. 

 This strain was introduced in 1922 by F. H. Ebelingof 

 Syracuse, New York. It has been impossible to dis- 

 tinguish the two on the basis of true separatory characters 

 and early descriptions do not give a clear picture. 



Ninety days were required to reach edible maturity 

 at Geneva. This proved to be 10 days to 2 weeks later 

 than Golden Bantam and 10 to 15 days earlier than 

 Papago Sweet. With the exception of Papago, which is 

 of no importance in New York State, Bantam Ever- 

 green is accepted as the most important late yellow 

 variety. It is used to some extent by the canning 

 industry, but has achieved its greatest importance as a 



large-eared late yellow of comparatively high quality, 

 appearing on the market when most other yellows 

 (planted in the normal season) are over-mature. Many 

 of the fine qualities of Stowell's Evergreen have been 

 retained in addition to the presence of yellow kernels. 

 The plants are very vigorous, stout growers, similar to 

 Golden Sunrise in this respect. Bantam Evergreen is 

 more inclined to tiller than Golden Sunrise and produces 

 kernels that in the dry stage are decidedly more deeply 

 and abundantly wrinkled and set more loosely on the cob. 



Plant tall, 6 1 o-7' _> feet; stalks heavy and straight; nodes 10- 

 12, exposed, prominent. Brace roots present and complete on one 

 and occasionally two nodes, heavy and useful. Tillers moderately 

 many, slightly shorter and occasionally equal to central stalk. 

 Leaves moderately long and moderately broad, 30-32 x 3 ' £-4 inches: 

 sheath shorter than and occasionally equal to the internode. Tassel 

 long and heavy, 20-22 inches; terminal spike erect, lateral spikelets 

 horizontal to slightly drooping, long, medium in number and evenly 

 distributed; bracts green, rather heavily striped with red; anthers 

 light reddish bronze (terra cotta); 64-66 days to anthesis. 



Ears borne at 5th to 7th nodes, one and very often two ears 

 per stalk with an occasional nubbin present. Shank medium long, 

 3—4 inches, moderately slender and brittle. Husks moderately 

 heavy and medium in length. Husked ear moderately long and 

 plump 8-9 x l 3 4-2 inches, moderately tapering; base enlarged and 

 compressed; tip conical and slightly exposed; rows 12-14, moderately 

 straight, somewhat irregular at the base, crowded around the cob. 



Kernels at milk stage yellow, large, moderately broad and 

 deep; at dry stage deep amber yellow, much longer than broad, 

 comparatively thin, 1.22 x .96 x .31 cm. (100 seeds per oz.); roughly 

 triangular in shape; crown converging, somewhat angular; surface 

 distinctly creased and very deeply and abundantly wrinkled; set 

 very loosely on cob. 



Banting. Refs. 298, 333, 334, 335, 345, 346, 347, 348. 

 Illus. 25. 



The climate in the prairie provinces of Canada and 

 in the northern sections of nearly all provinces is rela- 

 tively cool for sweet corn. Because of the importance 

 of sweet corn as a food plant, the Central Experimental 

 Farm at Ottawa grew in trials all varieties of early corn 

 obtainable and in 1920 introduced Pickaninny which 

 originated from a cross between two of the earliest 

 in the trials. 



The same year, Isabella Preston crossed Pickaninny 

 with Howe's Alberta Flint, a very uniform, 8-rowed, 

 yellow coming from the School of Agriculture, Edmonton, 

 Alberta. In 1923, after 3 years of careful work by M. B. 

 Davis and T. F. Ritchie, this yellow selection was sent 

 out for trial as Banting. It was the first yellow sweet 

 corn to compare in season with Pickaninny and the 

 Squaw corn varieties. 



Edible ears were secured in 65 days, which was 

 12 days to 2 weeks earlier than Golden Bantam and 

 3 to 4 days later than Golden Gem and Spanish Gold. 

 Its value has been chiefly attributed to its earliness. 

 The ears are considered too small, however, to be of 

 great importance as a market garden variety in New 

 York. The plants of this variety are more vigorous 

 and will average 1 foot taller than Golden Gem. Like- 

 wise, the ear shanks are longer with husks and husk 

 leaves longer and more abundant. The husked ears are 

 slightly more slender, while the kernels in the dry stage 

 are considerably deeper yellow in color. 



