THE SOUTHERN" PLANTER. 



417 



should be made companions of by thejr 

 employers — -for I would have none that I 

 could not fellowship with. 



By this course they will soon become 

 gentlemen of good habits, and their tone 

 of character vastly improved in every es- 

 sential particular. — Farmer and Planter. 



From the Massachusetts Ploughman. 

 Indian Corn, Maize. 



(ZEA MAYS.) • 



In England the name corn is a general 

 one, applied to all kinds of grain ; but the 

 vast amount of maize raised in this coun- 

 try, has changed this general name almost 

 completely into a specific one among us, 

 and b}^ corn we mean Indian corn alone. 

 In Germany this word (korn) is applied to 

 rye almost exclusively, and the name is 

 applied in different countries to that cereal 

 grain which is raised in the greatest quan- 

 tities. 



Maize belongs to this great natural fam- 

 ily of the grasses or Gramineos, among 

 which it is distinguished for its beauty and 

 luxuriant growth. It is an endogen or in- 

 side grower, like most tropical plants, and 

 its long waving leaves covering broad 

 fields afford us a fine example of the pre- 

 sent vegetation of the tropics. The flow- 

 ers are monoecious, that is, the pistils and 

 stamen, grow upon different parts of the 

 same plant. The tassels, the staminate 

 or male flowers, bear the anthens filled 

 with fitten, which is shed upon the silk, 

 the pistillate or female flowers, each 

 flower terminating at first in a rudimen- 

 tary kernel. If the silk is destroyed by 

 insects, or in any other way, before fertil- 

 ization takes place, the kernels will not 

 perfect, as also if the plant, from poverty 

 of soil or any other reason, lacks vigor for 

 their development. Thus most stalks ex- 

 hibit one or more rudimentary ears which 

 never come to perfection. The caryopsis, 

 or kernel, is compressed by crowding into 

 a flattened shape, roundish when not 

 crowded. The rows are always in pairs, 

 from eight to twenty-four or more. When 

 less than eight there is a vacancy on the 

 sides of the cob. The pollen of one 

 plant assists in fertilizing those that stand 

 near, hence stalks growing at the distance 

 of several rods from others, rarely produce 

 perfect ears. 



While we allow wheat to retain the title ' 

 27 



[of "prince of cereals," it must be admit- 

 ted, that in many respects, maize is more 

 justly entitled to it. Scarcely excelled by 

 the former for culinary uses, its produc- 

 tiveness is so great that it far surpasses 

 any other grain as food for animals, and 

 in capacity to sustain a dense population. 

 In America, with a congenial climate, it 

 forms the basis of all successful husban- 

 dry, and we shall be justified in devoting 

 considerable space to it in our columns, 

 though but little new can be said upon its 

 culture. 



This was the only grain cultivated by 

 the aborigines of this country, and of all 

 the cereals best adapted to their uses. The 

 different leading kinds were known to 

 them and carefully kept distinct, for as 

 they are not species but mere varieties, 

 they readily mingle and loss their pecu- 

 liarities. Even with this rude husbandry 

 it yielded fair crops, was easily gathered 

 and preserved, and with the simplest pre- 

 paration afforded grateful and nutritious 

 food. Indeed we can hardly conceive 

 how without it the country could have 

 maintained even so scanty a population. 

 But, useful as it was to them, it seems 

 even more necessary to us. The hardy 

 pioneer easily carries the seed for acres, 

 and in less than three months he can en- 

 joy the fruits of his labors, even where 

 mills and other appliances of civilization 

 are unknown. Its numerous varieties 

 adapt it both to a temperate and a torrid 

 clime, and in soil it allows of the greatest 

 range. We are not surprised then, at the 

 report of the census of 1850, of the 

 amount of the crop of 1849, and its rela- 

 tive value compared with other great sta- 

 ples. The total product for 1849 was 

 592,141,230 bushels, being double the 

 amount of all other grains, as wheat, rye, 

 oats, buckwheat, barley, peas and beans, 

 while in value it slightly exceeded the 

 three leading articles of wheat, cotton and 

 hay. The same census shows a gain at a 

 rapid ratio upon the others in the amount 

 produced. 



The average crop throughout the Union 

 is shown to be 25 bushels, while Connect 

 ticut has the honor of giving the highest 

 yield per acre, forty bushels. The ave- 

 rage of Massachusetts is thirty-one, while 

 Ohio gives thirty seven, some counties in 

 the latter State averaging fifty bushels. 

 The five States of Ohio, Kentucky, Ten- 



