322 



Sweet Corn. Olcra. Marty nia 



filled out." The ears are marketed in their husk.?, tlu 

 outer loose leaves being pulled off, in baskets, hampers and 

 barrels. Sweet corn makes a very attractive product if 

 well graded, and sent to market in paper-lined hampers or 

 in cartons (Fig. 235). 



For home use, Golden Bantam is now the favorite be- 

 cause of its delicious sweet quality. At first objections 

 were raised because of its yellow color but this is mere 

 prejudice or lack of reason; there is no more reason why 

 corn should be white than yellow. The demand for mere 

 whiteness in food products is one of our precious absurdi- 

 ties. Golden Bantam yields small ears and therefore may 

 not be wanted on certain markets. It is an 8- and 10-rowed 

 variety. There is a long list of excellent varieties of sweet 

 corn, of which Mayflower, Cory, Metropolitan, Perry, Min- 

 nesota, Crosby, Stabler, Champion, Country Gentleman, 

 Black Mexican, Stowell Evergreen may be mentioned. 

 Adams Early is not a true sweet corn, but is grown for 

 the market because of its earliness and hardiness. 



The Sweet Maize Plant 



Zea. Graminecr. Two dozen and more specific names have 

 been given in tlie genus Zea. but tlie prevailing opinion rednces 

 them all to forms of one polymorphous species, Z. Mays, Linn. 

 Sp. PI. 971. Maize. ^ Indian Corn. The plant is unknown 

 wild. Historical and other evidence indicates an American 

 origin ; probably Mexican. By some authors it is thought to 

 have originated as a hybrid between other genera of grasses. 



Z. Mays, Linn., var. rugosa, Bonaf.. Mais. 39, fig. 19 pi. xi. 

 1S36. (Z. saccharata, Sturtevant. 3rd Rep. X. Y. Exp. Sta. 

 156. 1884. Z. Mai/s var. saccharata. Bailey, Cyclo. Amer. 

 Hort. 2006. 1902.) Sweet Corn. Plant of relatively low 

 stature, 4 to 7 or 8 ft., strict, the culm smooth and glabrous. 



