DESCRIPTIONS OF VARIETIES 



85 



Kernels at milk stage bright orange yellow, rather small, 

 shallow and medium width; at dry stage, dull orange yellow, broader 

 than long, .84 x 1.0 x .35 cm. 1,104 seeds per oz.); short broad ovate; 

 crown rounded: surface abundantly and rather finely wrinkled; 

 set moderately tight on cob. 



Nuetta. Refs. 242, 335, 556, 557. Syn. Indian Sweet. 



This is one of the few varieties of sweet corn that 

 can be traced back to an Indian source. Oscar H. Will 

 & Co., Bismarck, North Dakota, were the introducers, 

 having secured seed from a Mandan Indian at Elbo- 

 woods, in 1912. It was first called Indian Sweet Corn. 

 In 1919 Will named many of his other introductions 

 from Indian sources after some tribal name of the 

 Indians of the St. Berthold Reservation. To carry out 

 this policy Indian Sweet was renamed Nuetta, the 

 Indian word for Mandan. Although Nuetta can be 

 traced back to native Indian cultivation, it differs from 

 other types that have been described. The kernel in 

 the dry state is dark red in color, but when harvested 

 for boiling it is a rather light yellow. It is also unlike 

 any other in that whereas the dry kernels are a dark 

 red color the glumes and cob are white. It thus differs 

 from the variety known as Number 20, page 302, in 

 Will's book Corn Among the Indians, which had a 

 white cob with a red ring about the edge of the pith 

 (glumes i. It also differs in this same respect from the 

 near-white varieties having reddish seed in the dry stage, 

 such as Narragansett, Marblehead, Dighton, and 

 Aristocrat. 



Seventy -seven days were required to produce edible 

 ears at Geneva. This was 6 days earlier than Golden 

 Giant, about the same season as Golden Bantam, and 

 8 days later than Dighton. Nuetta produces plants 

 that are about 1 foot shorter than those of Golden 

 Bantam and slightly taller than those of Dighton. 

 It has a greater tendency to tiller than the former, is 

 more prominently and more uniformly shaded with red, 

 and has decidedly deeper purplish red anthers. The 

 husked ears are slightly longer and kernels in the milk 

 stage are much lighter yellow than Golden Bantam, 

 but in the dry stage they assume a much more intense 

 reddish bronze than those of Golden Age. Portions of 

 the kernels, however, retain a yellowish cast common 

 to that of most yellow varieties at a comparable stage. 

 The variety has been subsequently developed for the 

 Northern Plains area where its earliness and resistance 

 to somewhat adverse weather conditions has given it a 

 place of limited importance. It is not widely known 

 nor is it believed to be cataloged by anyone but the 

 introducer. 



Plant moderately short, 4-4 '^ feet; stalks slender, moderately 

 straight; nodes 7-8, usually covered, not prominent; internodes 

 shaded with light red at the base of nodes and exposed surfaces. 

 Tillers many, slightly shorter than central stalk. Brace roots 

 absent, plant easily blown over. Leaves short and narrow, 24—26 x 

 2 3 4-3 inches, colored red at the margin; sheath equal to and occasion- 

 ally shorter than internode. Tassel moderately short and slender, 

 14—15 inches, usually colored at the base; terminal spike erect; 

 lateral spikelets nearly erect, medium in number, short, simple; 

 bracts variable in red stripping, ringed at the base; anthers very 

 uniformly deep red i bordeaux); 58-60 days to anthesis. 



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



ears per stalk, husks moderately few, short, tightly wrapped and 

 difficult to remove. Husked ear medium long and moderately 

 slender, 7-8 x l 1 , 1\ inches, moderately tapering; base slightly 

 enlarged and compressed; tip conical and exposed; rows 8, some- 

 what irregular, crowded around the cob. 



Kernels at milk stage deep cream (maize yellow), large, very 

 broad and moderately deep; at dry stage deep brownish red (hayes 

 russet) with portions of the crown much lighter (mars yellow); 

 wider than long, 1.01 x 1.27 x .39 cm. 1 96 seeds per oz. ); short oval 

 in shape; crown rounded, usually somewhat crease-dented with 

 one-half of the surface usually higher than the other; surface sparsely 

 and coarsely wrinkled; set moderately tight on red cob. 



Papago. Refs. 198, 228, 375, 549. Syn. Papago Sweet. 

 Illus. 25. 



The catalog descriptions of Papago corn often 

 allude to the variety as the prehistoric sweet corn of the 

 Indians of Arizona and New Mexico. It is possible 

 that among some of the very early dwellers of the arid 

 Southwest there did exist a definite variety of sweet corn, 

 but such is not to be found today. This particular 

 variety, Papago, instead of coming directly as a kind 

 grown by the Indians, resulted from the intensive 

 selection program of G. F. Freeman, plant breeder at the 

 Arizona Experiment Station. 



Prof. Freeman, realizing the impossibility of secur- 

 ing really high grade green sweet corn for table use in 

 Arizona until it could be grown in the state, was attracted 

 to a few ears of a true southwestern Indian or Squaw 

 corn which contained a number of wrinkled sweet 

 grains. The discovery was made while visiting the 

 Papago Indian villages in the desert valleys of southern 

 Arizona between the Baboquivari and Quizotoa Moun- 

 tains. Originally, the seed came from two ear types 

 varying in size, depth of kernel and susceptibility to 

 worm injury and molds. The few grains secured were 

 planted in 1910, the same year they were found, and 

 produced 2 ears of the large type and 20 of the smaller. 

 Plant breeding methods were followed to bring the 

 size of the ear and the grain up to standard and in 1915 

 the improved strain was so far superior to the unaccli- 

 mated eastern sorts that its introduction as Papago 

 Sweet was well justified. 



At Geneva 117 days were required for this variety 

 to reach edible maturity. This was by far the latest 

 maturing sweet corn, either yellow or white, in any of 

 the Geneva trials. This was 27 days later than Bantam 

 Evergreen and Sunnybrook, the two late season varieties 

 usually grown for market in New York. The plants were 

 slightly taller than Mills' Golden Sunrise, much more 

 leafy and with a more bushy tassel. The husks are more 

 tightly wrapped than any other sweet corn, thereby 

 rendering it nearly immune to corn ear worm infestation. 

 The kernels are decidedly thicker and more shallow 

 than any other sweet variety. It has no importance 

 in this section of the country, although in the semi-arid 

 regions of the Southwest it has been reported to yield 

 well and possess considerable drought resistance. 



Plant very tall, 8-8 '2 feet; stalks moderately heavy and 

 straight; nodes 12-14, covered, not prominent; internodes shaded 

 with solid red on exposed portions. Brace roots present and com- 

 plete on one and two nodes, useful. Tillers many present, nearly as 

 I tall as central stalk. Leaves long and moderately narrow, 36-38 x 



