THE GRASS FAMILY. 



109 



them. The kinds mentioned mature in the latter part of sum- 

 mer and are especially abundant in old pastures or other places 

 containing much decaying organic matter and during moist 

 weather. If an attempt was made to grow them, it would prob- 

 ably be necessary to keep the ground moist all summer to se- 

 cure the best results. 



THE GRASS FAMILY. (Oder Gramineae.) 

 The Grass Family has many well known general character- 

 istics. It includes many species and produces the greater part 

 of the food of the human race either directly as seed or indirect- 

 ly as meat and yet only corn is ordinarily grown in vegetable 

 gardens. Among the most important food plants belonging here 

 are wheat, rye, oats, barley, rice, corn, sorghum and sugar cane. 

 The wild rice grows in great abundance in some portions of this 

 state and is an important article of food among the Indians. 



CORN. (Zea mays.) 

 Native of America. — Annual. The male flowers are in the 

 tassel and the female flower on the cob. While cross-fertiliza- 

 tion is not absolutely necessary far the production of seed, it 

 is necessary for a good crop. The varieties of corn may be 

 easily grouped under four classes: (1) Sweet corn, which in- 

 cludes varieties with soft and generally much wrinkled kernels, 

 that are especially desirable for use in a green state on ac- 

 coant of their being sweeter and more delicate in flavor than 

 other kinds. (2) Flint corn, which includes fleld varieties hav- 

 ing a very hard, smooth grain. (3) Dent corn, which includes 

 field varieties rather softer in texture than the flint corn, each 

 kernel having a depression in the end of it. (4) Pop corn, which 

 has a kernel of flinty hardness and is used almost entirely for 

 popping purposes. These classes will all cross together. But 

 there are numerous verieties in each of the classes varying from 

 one another in height of stalk, size and color of the ear and ker- 

 nel, time of ripening and various minor particulars. The color 

 of the grains may be white, yellow, red or purple, but white and 

 yellow are most common. Corn is quickly improved by judi- 

 cious selection, and new varieties are frequently originated in 

 this way. 



V 



