a more humid soil than Sorghum. Good writing and printing papers
can be prepared from maize-straw. Meyen calculated font
return from maize under most favorable c frcum stn te s fo Iropical
conntries would he eight hundred fold, and under almost any cir^/m-
Ac/s"ta Acosta cooLunZte dr on some cobs of the Inca-Maiz‘e‘I as mancyo uana tr7ie0s0.
300 f o l d # t® harvest of this variety
300 fold of the seeds sown ; I t grows to a height of 15 feet in rich
soil and under careful cnltivation, by which means the grafo! w S
become four or five times as large as the ordinary kind. In Peru it can
be grown np to an altitude of 8,000 feet. A very stunted varfotv fo
suoeessfully grown in Baluchistan, between 5,000 and 9,000 feet L d
forms there a staple food of the population [ J . H. Lace 1 Mr
Butoanan, of Lindenau, obtained 150 bushels of ordinary maize from
North I ’ Victoria. In the littoral region of
North-Queensland three harvests can be obtained within a year from
some varieties. Even in the very dry clime of 1 7 ^ # Rfoe“
[D C o # a c k l’ P r / f " # ' " ' f h a s yielded 80 bushels p 7 acre
L • UormackJ Prof. Blount succeeded in growing a hardy variety
of maize in Colorado a t an elevation of 5,000feet [W. Farrer 1 From
s i l T i foe°rat'“ 7 q7)0 "P®“®*^ grains have been plucked,
of A ^ L l f o r e W 1 P#® "® ®btainable [Department
‘i.; T s iv T T
S W e , p r o a o c e d 1 , J 1 7 , 9 0 0 , 0 0 0 l > u . h « l < o f m , i A n / “ m U » o „ . ’ o £ r ? . to the value of o80 million dollars, or about £120,000,000. In 1 882
the maize-produce there was 1,617,000,000 bushels, from 68,800 000
i n 783,867,000 dollars, equal to £l63,6o0,6oo-
in 1892 the yield was ahout 1,600 million bushels from 78 m llioi!
Missouri, Kansas, Indiana, OhTo and
Nebraska furnishing more than three-fourths. The import of Corn
vafued at £9,681 Maize-grain will retain its power of germinatioi!
for two years with certainty. As a fattening saccharfoe g r 7 7
fodder, maize is ju stly and universally in warm countries appreciated
In America much used for ensilage. Maize-straw, caTefulfo 0^0" #
stable-fodder. In Middle
nrope the Horse-tooth variety is frequently grown for this nurnosp
and attains occasionally a height of fnlly 12 feet, although the seeds’
i rve f r m p d - # ° * “ “ there Any ergot from it is used, like th a t
fo star’ch 7 7 7 7 , Maize-eorn contains about 75 per cent,
fo t b 7 7 7 n recommends mellago or treacle from maize instead
of th a t prepared from the roots of Triticum repens, L and the
molasses so obtained serve also for culinary uses. Suuar and treacle
# e d # r r A # 7 “ -aizefstems in t h f / i i e r S
7 7 a c t t o c o l 7 # “®“ saccharatus. Exposure to extreme and
protracted cold—four years in Polaris Bay, Smith Sound 81° 38'
,r iT l whearai’dli# grains [R. J . Lynch]. The elongated thread-like styles have come
recently into medicinal use. The occasional attacks of particular
kinds of rust, smut and blight must be overcome by the. same
measures, adopted against similar parasitic fungs on wheat. Ustilago
Maydis (Oorda) can in particular become extensively destructive to
maize-crops. Z. canina [S. Watson] recently discovered near Lake
Cuiztko, close to the boundary-line between the states Guanajuato
and Michoacan, is either the wild plant from which Z. Mays originated
or a new distinct species.
Zelkova acuminata, Planchón. (Planera acuminata, Lindley ; P. Japónica,
Miquel ; Zelkova Keaki, Savatier and Franchet.)
The “ K e ak i” Japan. Considered one of the best timber-trees
there ; height up to 160 feet ; stem-diameter to 10 feet [Prof.
Luerssen], Likes calcareous soil. I t proved of rapid growth and
valuable as a shade-tree also a t Melbourne. The wood never
cracks, and is hence most extensively used for turnery, also ranch for
furniture [Rein]. For out-door work the most valued wood fo Jap an
[Christy].
Zelkova crenata, Spach. (Plañera Sichardi, Miohaux.)
South-Western Asia, ascending to 5,000 feet. In favorable
localities a good-sized tree, with qualities resembling those of the
elms. Growth of comparative celerity. Resists severe frosts. I ts
tendency to form straight and tall stems with few and short
branches is evident. Attains an age over 200 years ; rate of growth
about 2 feet a year. Medwedieff calls this tree the pearl of the
Caucasian forests. The propagation is either from seeds or layers
or cuttings [H. Scharrar]. The wood is pale-yellowish and streaked,,
tough and elastic, heavy, hard, fine-grained, neither rends nor
warps ; also under ground never infested with insects, almost imperishable.
The allied Z. Crética (Spach) is restricted to South-
Europe.
Zingiber officinale, Eoscoe.
The Ginger. India and China. Possibly this plant may be productive
also in the warmer temperate zone, and give satisfactory
results. In Jamaica it is cultivated up to an elevation of 3,600 feet
[W. F aw c e tt]. The multiplication is effected by division of the root.
In the lower Himalayan region, where the temperature is already
too low in the cool season, the Ginger-roots are lifted and stored,
portions to be replanted when the warm weather sets in [W.
■ Gollan]. This principle may he applicable to many other plants in
particular regions. For candied ginger only the young succulent
roots are used, whicli are peeled and scaled prior to immersion into
the saccharine liquid. Great Britain imported in 1884 about 56,000
cwt. of ginger, valued a t £124,000.