NOTES ON INDIAN CORN. 215 



temperature, from the time-enduring hard corn of Canada, to the 

 StoweH's evergreen for boiling in the unripe state. We have it suited 

 to summers, varying from three to six months ; thus we find it in the 

 North requiring but half the time for its growth that is requisite in the 

 South, and still in each locality are kinds appropriated to the different 

 lengths of summers. We may say of the Indian corn crop of America 

 what Mr. Webster said of the turnip crop of England, that "its failure 

 for three successive years would nearly bankrupt the nation." Fortu- 

 nately, however, by the recent improvements in agriculture, they are en- 

 abled, in the growth of this crop, almost to defy drought, and to render 

 every variety of soil suitable for the production of maximum quantities. 

 It is the food of both man and animals ; and even its stalks, by proper 

 treatment, have been rendered equal in value to the whole labour and 

 expense of raising the crop. To it America is indebted for her fine 

 beef, her plentiful supply of pork, and also as an article of human food. 

 It is the plant of the country ; and the olive branch might with pro- 

 priety be taken from the claw of the national emblem, and the Indian 

 corn plant substituted in its place. 



In proof of the American origin of this plant, it may be stated that 

 it is still found growing in a wild state from the Rocky mountains to 

 the humid forests of Paraguay, where, instead of having each grain 

 naked, as is always the case after long cultivation, it is completely 

 covered with glumes or husks. Columbus found the natives of His- 

 paniola cultivating it in extensive fields, and those of other places first 

 visited by him were also in possession of it. The first Englishmen 

 by whom it was cultivated were they who settled in Virginia in 1760. 



In England all cereals used as food for man are called " corn ; " but 

 those who first landed in America from that country found a new 

 cereal, also used as food by the aborigines. They added it to their 

 catalogue of corn with the prefix of Indian. As it had been for ages 

 the main dependence of the Indians, so it has since become the real 

 staff of liie to thirty millions who now occupy their places, while it is 

 gradually making its way to favour among other millions in Europe. 

 The pioneers give no accounts of the Indians having many varieties 

 of corn. They seem to have been content with what they had. The 

 higher civilisation of the whites quickly seized on the new cereal, 

 recognised its value as food for man and beast, improved its culture, 

 multiplied its varieties, made its increase a hundred-fold, and, by the 

 invention of machines for shelling it rapidly and grinding it cheaply, 

 raised it to the position of a staple so important, that if the whole wheat 

 crop of America were suddenly annihilated, the corn crop alone would 

 supply the people plenteously with food. It already equals the wheat 

 crop of the whole world. The latter can be profitably cultivated only 

 within certain latitudes, but corn grows luxuriantly in all. The border 

 states of the tropics refuse'to yield wheat. Louisiana and Florida produce 

 but 1,500 bushels annually, but nearly 14,000,000 bushels of corn. 



