10 POPULAR ECONOMIC BOTANY. 



which the most conspicuous are the Large White, the Large 

 Yellow, and the Red American sorts, and the Small Yellow 

 of Southern Europe. 



Owing to its deficiency in gluten, maize is not well adapted 

 for making bread ; it is however made into cakes, which are 

 much esteemed in North America. Throughout the whole 

 of the American continent and islands it enters largely into 

 the common food of the people, in a great variety of ways. 

 Like oats, it is reduced to meal, the pericarp or bran re- 

 maining mixed with the flour. In the preparation called 

 homminy, the grain is first soaked, and then exposed to a 

 drying heat, which causes the bran to crack and peel off, it 

 is then easily separated : in tins state it is much used for 

 puddings and other dishes. Pop-corn is another prepa- 

 ration, made by slightly baking the unripe grains, which 

 makes them turn inside out, giving them the appearance of 

 tapioca : this is also a favourite method of using the corn. 



Several attempts have been made, but without success, to 

 cultivate maize in England : our summer is too short, and 

 our autumn too humid ; it is however extensively imported 

 from the United States and Italy, and used for feeding cat- 

 tle, etc., but is not regarded with much favour as human 

 food. The imports in 1847 (the year in which the potato- 



