Southern field crops (exclusive of forage plants) . atures. The word corn in Europe means any kind of gTain. Inthe United States, the word applies only to Indian corn ormaize. ]\Iost authorities think that this plant originatedin the southern part of Mexico. It has few near relativesamong either wild or cultivated plants. Its nearest cul-tivated relative is teosinte, a tropical forage plant whichis of some value in the southern part of the United States. Corn is the largest and most valuable single crop grownin the United States, occupying more than twice the acre-age devoted to wheat and thre
Southern field crops (exclusive of forage plants) . atures. The word corn in Europe means any kind of gTain. Inthe United States, the word applies only to Indian corn ormaize. ]\Iost authorities think that this plant originatedin the southern part of Mexico. It has few near relativesamong either wild or cultivated plants. Its nearest cul-tivated relative is teosinte, a tropical forage plant whichis of some value in the southern part of the United States. Corn is the largest and most valuable single crop grownin the United States, occupying more than twice the acre-age devoted to wheat and three times that occupied bycotton. Its most important use is as a food for live-stock,for which l:)oth the grain and all parts of the vegetativeportion of the plant are employed. Corn also constitutes an important article of humanfood. In the South corn-bread is largely consmned, andin all parts of the United States munerous other articlesfor human consumption are matle from the corn grain,such as Ijreakfast foods and cornstarch. The oil extracted 78. 80 SOUTHERN FIELD CROPS from the grain is used as a lubricant and for the manufac-ture of a sul^stitute for rubber. Tlie pith from the stalk isemployed as a packing material in the construction ofwarships. Corn and its by-products are also used inmany other ways. Structure 81. Roots. — The root system of the corn plant con-sists of a number of long, slender, branched, fibrous is no tap-root. A whorl of roots develops near thegerminating grain, but the main system springs from thecrown of the plant, which usually develops about 1 inchbelow the surface. Therefore, the depth of rooting ofcorn is largely independent of the depth at w^hich thegrain is planted. As a rule, most of the main feeding roots originatein the stratum comprised Ijetween 2 inches and 4 inchesbelow the surface of the ground (Figs. 30 and 31). Theseusually grow out almost horizontally for some distance,and then, if the soil permits, many of them bend do\
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