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KINDS OF CORN GROWN BY THE INDIANS. The Indians
grew two main types of corn, Zea mays indurata, or the flint corns,
and Zea mays amylacea or the flour corns. Inasmuch as corn was mainly
used for human food, each type had its particular use. Flint corn was raised
mainly for the making of hominy. Flour corn, because of its soft, starchy
composition, was very easily ground in motars. It was, therefore, especially
valuable for parching and making into soups, puddings, and corn bread.
A distinguishing feature of the primitive Indian corns was their
various colors. Among the kinds of corn grown were the following:
Red-streaked flour, pink flour, white flour, red flour, blue flour, spotted
flour, yellow flour, salmon-colored flour, white flour with kernels tipped
with black, white flint, yellow flint, and pink flint. It must not be
understood that all of these various kinds have passed out of cultivation.
On the contrary, practically all of them can still be found, having been
planted in small quantities from year to year, even up to the present time.
An endeavor was made to keep the various kinds separated by planting in
fields apart from each other. |
