CORN 
Maize, or Indian Corn (Zea Mays), belongs 
to the great plant family Gramineae, or grasses. 
It is thought to have originated in central 
America as a hybrid of teosinite, a Mexican 
fodder grass, and an unknown plant belonging 
to the tribe Andropogoneae. Sturtevant tells us 
that there are over three hundred varieties of 
corn divided into seven main groups. 
Corn is the outstanding crop of the United 
States. In both acreage and value it exceeds 
the combined crops of wheat, oats, rye, barley, 
rice, buckwheat, fruits, and nuts. It is the most 
beautiful and luxuriant of all the grain grasses. 
Although corn is a strictly American product, 
developed by the natives centuries before the 
coming of the whites, its use has spread to 
nearly all sections of the earth. It is now the 
most common crop throughout South Africa, 
where it is known to the natives as “mealies.” 
It is extensively grown throughout India. 
Corn meal, a staple among the natives of 
Mexico, is made into thin, round cakes known 
as “tortillas.” Our own American Indians re¬ 
garded corn as a direct gift from the Author of 
Life to his children. It was highly prized, and 
to make light of or waste it was never per¬ 
mitted. Ceremonies were observed in the 
spring when planted, and their most solemn and 
imposing ceremonies were held just before the 
ripe ears were gathered in the fall. Among 
many Indian tribes the corn is known as 
“mother,” because it nourishes and is the giver 
of life. Bancroft writes, “The maize 
springs from a warm, new field, and in 
the rich soil, with little aid from culture, out¬ 
strips the weeds, bears not fifty, but a thou- 
