300 



INDIAN CORN. 



is, in combination with the organic mattere, forming a kind of amidon 

 in the mucilage around the germ. 



The ingredients concentrated by nature in a grain of corn are all 

 essential to a highly nutritious food. The gluten and mucilage 

 contain nitrogen, an element essential to the formation of fibrous 

 tissue, muscle, nervous matter, and brain. The oil is nearly formed 

 fat, easily convertible into animal oils by a slight change of composi- 

 tion. Starch is also convertible into fat, and into the carbonaceous 

 substance of the body ; and during its slow combustion in the circula- 

 tion gives out a portion of the heat of animal bodies, while in its 

 altered state it goes to form a part of the living frame. From the 

 phosphates are derived the substance of bone, as well as the saline 

 matters of brain, nerves, and other solid and fluid parts of the body. 

 The salts of iron go to the blood, and there constitute an essential 

 portion of it, enabling it, by successive alterations of its degree of 

 oxidation during the circulation through lungs, arteries, extreme 

 vessels, and veins, to transport oxygen to every part of the body. 

 Indian corn therefore contains all the elements required for the 

 perfect development and support of the bodies of animals. 



Dr. Salisbury has furnished the analysis of five leading varieties 

 of Indian corn : — 1. Golden Sioux, bright-yellow, twelve-rowed, fre- 

 quently having fourteen rows. 2. Large eight-rowed yellow. 3. Small 

 eight-rowed. 4. White flint. 5. Ohio Dent, one of the largest 

 varieties. 



Constituents. 



1 



2 



3 



4 



5 





36 



•06 



40 



•85 



30-29 



49-22 



40-34 



Gluten 



5 



•00 



4 



•62 



5-69 



5-40 



7-69 





3 





8 



•88 



3-90 



3-71 



4-68 





4 



42 



2 



•64 



6-00 



3-32 



3-40 





1 



92 



1 



•32 



2-20 



0-75 



0-50 





1 



30 



5 



•40 



4-61 



1-90 



3-00 



Fibre 



18 



50 



21 



•36 



26-80 



11-96 



18-01 



Sugar and extract . . 



7 



25 



10 



00 



5-20 



9-55 



8-30 





15 



02 



10 



•00 



13-40 



14-00 



14-00 



The male flower is the plume at the top of the stem, which blos- 

 soms like wheat, and evolves an immense quantity of pollen, which, 

 wafted about by the wind, fertilizes the female portion of the plant 

 (the ears or future cobs) which spring forth from the junction of a 

 leaf with the stalk. These are at first a mere tassel of delicate 

 threads ; there is one of these to every incipient grain of corn ; they 

 receive the pollen of the tassel and are fertilized at once. If any 

 thread is injured or broken, the grain belonging to it is lost ; if all 

 are fertilized, the ear is beautifully regular and complete. Where 

 purity of kind is required, only one variety must be sown. 



Maize may be divided into two kinds, table maize and farm maize. 

 Only the white Georgian maize is used by the Americans for table 

 purposes, all the yellow varieties for flour and cattle food. Besides 



