FOR VICTORIAN INDUSTRIAL CULTURE. 261 



.Zea Mays, Lmn6.* 



The Maize or Indian- Corn. Indigenous to the warmer parts 

 of South America. St. Hilarre mentions as its native 

 country Paraguay. Found in Central America ah^eady by 

 Columbus. This conspicuous though annual cereal-grass 

 interests us on this occasion as being applicable here to far 

 more uses than those, for which it has hitherto been employed. 

 In North America, for instance. Maize is converted into a 

 variety of dishes for the daily table, being thus boiled in an 

 immature state as "green corn." Mixed with other flour it 

 furnishes good bread. For some kinds of cakes it is solely 

 used, also for Maizena, Macaroni and Polenta. Several 

 varieties exist ; the Inca-Maize of Peru being remarkable for 

 its gigantic size and large grains. Maize is not readily 

 subject to the ordinary corn-diseases ; but to prosper it 

 requires fair access to potash and lime. Good writing and 

 printing papers can be prepared from Maize-straw. Meyen 

 calculated that the return from Maize under most favourable 

 circumstances in tropical countries would be eight hundred 

 fold, and under almost any circumstance it is the largest yielder 

 among cereals in warm countries. As a fattening saccharine 

 green-fodder Maize is justly appreciated. Any Ergot from it 

 is used, like that of Pye, for medicinal purposes. Maize- 

 corn contains about 75 per cent, of starch. Dierbach 

 recommends mellago or treacle from Maize, instead of that 

 prepared from the roots of Triticum repens (L.), and the 

 molasses, so obtained, serve also culinary uses. 



.Zelkova acuminata , Planchon. (Planera acuminata, Lind- 

 ley; P. Jai^onica, Miquel.) 

 The "Keaki," considered one of the best timber-trees of 

 Japan; proved here of rapid growth and valuable as a shade- 

 tree. 



Zelkova crenata, Spach. {Flanera Ricliardi, Michaux.) 



South- West Asia, ascending to 5000 feet. In favourable 

 localities a good-sized tree, with qualities resembling those of 

 the Elms. The allied Z. cretica (Spach) is restricted to 

 South Europe. 



Zingiber officinale, Poscoe. 



The Ginger. India and China. Possibly this plant may be 

 productive in the hottest parts of our colony, and give satis- 

 factory results. The multiplication is effected by division 

 of the root. For candied Ginger only the young succulent 

 roots are used, which are peeled and scalded prior to the 

 immersion into the saccharine liquid. 



