202 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
COBS’—THE PRINCIPAL VARIETIES DE¬ 
SCRIBED, 
We give below a description of the seve¬ 
ral kinds of Indian Corn more generally cul¬ 
tivated. This chapter will be valuable to 
preserve for future reference. It is mostly 
compiled from tlie Transactions of ihc 
New-York State Agricultural Society. 
The principal varieties of Indian Com, 
cultivated in the United States, arc dis¬ 
tinguished by the number of rows or grains 
in the cob, and the color, stftpe, and size of 
the kernels. They may be classified as fol¬ 
lows : 
YELLOW COllN. 
The colors of the varieties coming under 
this head are dependent mainly on the 
shades of the oil, as seen through the epi¬ 
dermis or hull. 
1. Golden Sioux or Northern Flint Corn .— 
Derived from the Sioux Indians, in Canada; 
having a large cob, rather short as to length, 
with twelve rows of moderate sized grains, 
abounding in oil, and is regarded as one of 
the best varieties for fattening animals, or 
for human food. By skilful tillage, 130 bush¬ 
els have been raised to the acre, weighing 
9,216 lbs. in the ear ; when dry, 75 lbs. of 
ears gave a bushel when shelled. Several 
valuable hybrid varieties have been produced 
between the Sioux and King Phillip, the 
Gourd-seed and the Sioux. 
2. King Phillip or Eight-rowed Yelloiv 
Corn. — So called after the celebrated Indian 
chief of the Wampanoags of that name, from 
which tribe the seed was obtained. The 
ears, which contained only eight rows, are 
longer than those of the Golden Sioux, and 
it will yield about the same quantity of oil. 
It is a hardy plant, which belongs to a high 
latitude, grows to about nine feet in height, 
stalks small, ears from ten to fourteen inches 
in length, much esteemed in New England 
as a substantial article of food, where it has 
been cultivated from times anterior to the 
landing of the pilgrims. 
3. Canada Corn, or Eighteen-roived Yel¬ 
low. —This corn, which is smaller, earlier, 
and more solid than any of the preceding, 
contains more oil than any other variety, 
except the rice corn, and the pop-corn, prop¬ 
erly so called. It is highly valuable for fat¬ 
tening poultry, swine, &c., and is grown by 
many in gardens for early boiling or roast¬ 
ing, when grown. Notwithstanding it is 
very prolific in ears, it is seldom planted in 
fields, except in regions where the larger 
kinds will not thrive. 
4. Dutton Corn. —A variety first brought 
into notice in 1818, by Mr. Samuel Dutton, 
of the State of Vermont. The ears of corn 
from which it was originally selected, on an 
average were from eight to twelve inches 
long, and contained from twelve to eighteen 
rows. The co'o is larger, and sometimes 
grows to the length of fourteen or fifteen 
inches, but the grain is so compact upon it 
that two bushels of small ears have yielded 
five pecks of fehelled corn, weighing 62 
lbs. to the bushel. With proper manage¬ 
ment, an acre of ground will yield 100 to 120 
bushels. As it abounds in oil, gives a good 
raw. i n hi i ■ ii ii 111 i ii hi r i in mi i ■■ m i w ii mm i — 
yield, and ripens early, it has always been 
a favorite variety for culture in the Northern 
.States. 
5. Southern Dig Yellow Corn.-—' The cob 
of this corn is thick and long, the grain much 
wider than deep, and the row r s unite with 
each other; 'their sides fall off almost, to a 
point; this gives the outside ends of the 
grain a circular form, which imparls to the 
car an appearance somewhat resembling a 
fluted column. The grain contains less oil 
and more starch than the Northern flint 
kinds, yet its outward texture is somewhat 
flinty, solid and firm. It comes rather late 
into maturity, affords an abundant yield, and 
is much used for fattening animals; mixed 
with either the white gourd varieties, the yel¬ 
low gourd seed is produced which is often 
mistaken for an original form. 
6. Southern Small Yellow' Corn. — The 
ears of this sort are more slender, as wrnllas 
shorter, than the last named variety ; the 
grains are smaller, though of the same form ; 
of a deep yellow, more firm and flinty, qnd 
contain an abundance of oil, which renders 
it more valuable for the purpose of shipping, 
or for feeding to poultry or swine. Although 
it is less productive than the big yellow, it 
ripens earlier, and consequently is sooner 
out of the reach of the autumn frosts. 
WHITE CORN. 
The varieties which constitute this divis¬ 
ion are exceedingly variable, both as regards 
thhir composition and size, as w'ell as in 
their yield and times of coming to maturity. 
1. Rhode Island White Flint Corn. —The 
grains of this variety are about the size and 
shape of those of the Tuscarora corn, but 
differ from them in containing an abundance 
of a transparent and colorless oil, which may 
be easily seen through their clear pellucid 
hulls. The farinaceous parts of the grains 
are white, and, as the quantity of oil which 
they contain is large, the flour or meal is 
more substantial as an article of food, and 
less liable to ferment and become sour. In 
Rhode Island, where it produces an abundant 
yield, it is a favorite grain, and stands in high 
repute for human food. 
2. Southern While Flint Corn. —The ker¬ 
nels of this variety are considerably smaller 
than those of the preceding, and much re¬ 
semble them in shape ; but they are more 
firm and solid, contain more oil, and conse¬ 
quently more valuable for feeding poultry 
and swine, and for human food. Although 
the cob is smaller in proportion to the size 
of the ears, the yield per acre is less abun¬ 
dant, and consequently it is but very little 
grown. 
3. Dutton White Flint Corn. —A variety 
not differing materially from the Yellow 
Dutton Corn, except in the color of its ker¬ 
nel. 
4. Early Canadian White Flint Corn. —Cul¬ 
tivated principally for early boiling or roast¬ 
ing while green. 
5. Tuscarora Corn. — A variety obtained 
from the Tuscarora Indians in the State of 
New-York. The ears contain from twelve 
to sixteen rows of grains, which are nearly 
as deep as they are broad, of a dead whitish 
color on the extreme end, composed entirely 
within of pure, white dextrine and starch, 
except the germs. As it contains neither 
gluten nor oil, it may be profitably employed 
in the manufacture of starch. It is much 
softer and better food for horses than the 
flinty kinds, and, if used before it becomes 
sour, it may be converted into an excellent 
bread. It is also an excellent variety for 
boiling, when green, or in the milky state. 
0. White Flint Corn .—The ears of this va¬ 
riety contain twelve rows of * 1 or white, 
roundish, thick grains, which are filled with 
a snowy white flour, composed principally 
of starch, but does not contain either gluten 
or oil. It is much used in some parts of the 
country, particularly New-Jersey, for grind¬ 
ing up with buckwheat, mixed in proportions 
of four or five to one of corn, in order to im¬ 
prove the color and other qualities of the 
buckwheat flour. As it possesses similar 
properties to the preceding variety, it may be 
profitably employed for the same purpose. 
It is also an excellent variety for boiling, 
when green. 
7. Virginia White Seed Corn . — The ears 
of this corn, which are not very long, nor 
is the cob so long as those of the big white 
or yellow flint, contains from twenty-four to 
thirty-six row's of very long, narrow grains, 
so soft and open in texture that they will 
not bear transportation by sea, unless they 
are previously kiln dried, or completely ex¬ 
cluded from the moist air. These grains at 
their extreme ends, are almost flat, and grow 
so closely together, from the cob to the sur¬ 
face, they produce a greater yield than any 
other variety, in proportion to the size of the 
ears. They contain more starch and less 
gluten and oil than those of the flint kinds, 
and from their softness they serve as better 
food for horses, but are less nourishing to 
poultry and swine. The color of this vari¬ 
ety is almost white (unless it has been cross¬ 
ed with other kinds) which may be invariably 
knowm by a small indenture in the ends of 
the grain, when perfectly dried. The oily 
and glutinous parts of the Virginia gourd 
seed always occur on the sides of the elon¬ 
gated grains, while the starch projects quite 
through to their summits, and by contrac¬ 
tion in drying, produces the pits or depres¬ 
sions peculiar to their ends. This variety is 
later ripe, though more productive than any 
other kind. 
8. Early Siveet Corn. —This variety w r as 
introduced into Massachusetts in 1779, by 
Capt. Richard Bagnall, of Plymouth, from 
the country bordering on the Susquehannah, 
on his return from the expedition against the 
tribes of the six nations, under the command 
of Gen. Sullivan. There are two kinds of 
this corn : one with the cob red, and the 
other white. The ears are short and usually 
contain eight rows, the grains v of which, 
when mature, are of a light color and become 
shrivelled, and^pearas if they were unripe. 
It contains an unusually large proportion of 
the phosphates, and a considerable quantity 
of sugar arid gum, though but little starch. 
It is extensively cultivated in the vicinity of 
cities for culinary purposes, and serves as a 
delicious food, when boiled green. Large 
quantities of this corn arc prepared by boil- 
