. Cyclopedia of farm crops. Farm produce; Agriculture. MAIZE MAIZE 399 that our cultivated maize is of hybrid origin, prob- ably starting as a sport of teosinte, which then crossed itself with the normal ancestor, producing our cultivated corn. This is speculative, but there. Fig. 597. Types of kernels of corn. 1, 2, Wliite dent kernels of poor shape view of tliin ;ind tliick kernels: 4. edge view of thin and thick kernels; 5-7, tiour corn of Fern: S. Tuscarora or flour corn; 9-12, sweet corn; 13. Golden Pearl pop- corn; 11. white rice popcorn; 15, white flint; 16, 17, yellow flint; 18-23, whi
. Cyclopedia of farm crops. Farm produce; Agriculture. MAIZE MAIZE 399 that our cultivated maize is of hybrid origin, prob- ably starting as a sport of teosinte, which then crossed itself with the normal ancestor, producing our cultivated corn. This is speculative, but there. Fig. 597. Types of kernels of corn. 1, 2, Wliite dent kernels of poor shape view of tliin ;ind tliick kernels: 4. edge view of thin and thick kernels; 5-7, tiour corn of Fern: S. Tuscarora or flour corn; 9-12, sweet corn; 13. Golden Pearl pop- corn; 11. white rice popcorn; 15, white flint; 16, 17, yellow flint; 18-23, white dent: 24-28, yellow dent. Long, wedge-shaped kernels like 9 and 25 permit of much grain in proportion to cob. (Hartley.) cannot be any doubt that the close relationship of maize and teosinte points the way to the determi- nation of the botanical characters of the original wild corn plant. Recently, Montgomery has sug- gested a theory as to the nature of the maize ear, in which, in conclusion, he states "that corn and teosinte may have had a common origin, and that in the process of evolution the cluster of pistillate spikes in teosinte were developed from the lateral branches of a tassel-like structure, while the corn ear developed from the central spike. It is probable that the progenitor of these plants was a large, much-branched grass, each branch be- ing terminated by a - like structure, bearing hermaphro- dite ; [See lit- erature references at end of article.] The Zea canina of Mexico ( described in 1890, by Watson) is of great interest in studying the origin of corn. Bailey experi- mented with this plant and made hybrids with forms of cultivated maize. Without com- mitting himself as to the origin of Zea canina itself, he made the following observa- tions (Cornell Bulletin Pij, 5g3_ No. 49, 1892)_ on its Pod or biusk com. possible relations to Indian corn (subsequent experiments have not been published): "It may be worth while to in
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