Rural Heritage April/May 2026

Corn plants are loaded on a horse drawn wagon to be chopped for silage. Dent corn on the left inset and flint corn on the right.

Types or Races There are six principal types or races of corn, of which the grouping is based chiefly upon the character of the kernels. These are (1) pop corn; (2) flint corn; (3) dent corn; (4) flour or soft corn, (5) sweet corn, and (6) pod corn. Pop corn (Zea mays var. everta) kernels are small, very hard, and flinty with little or no soft starch in the endosperm or portion surrounding the germ. When the kernel is heated, moisture within it explodes causing it to turn inside out and form a white, starchy mass. Used solely as a confection. Two types, pearl, with smooth, round kernels; and rice, with pointed kernels. Ears are 2 to 6 inches long with 8 to 16 or more rows of kernels. Red, blue, bronze, black, yellow, white and variegated colors. Many varieties, but the white rice is the most popular. Grown commercially chiefly in Iowa and Nebraska. Flint corn (Zea Mays indurata) kernels are rounded, very hard on the outside, with soft starch in the center. Ears are small in diameter, 6 to 14

inches long, with 8 to 14 rows of kernels. All colors; many varieties. Grown chiefly at high elevations and northern latitudes in climates too cool for dent corn. Dent corn (Zea Mays indentata). Horny starch grouped at sides of kernel. Soft starch in between and extending to the top; characteristic dent in end of kernels due to shrinking of this soft starch

Sections showing good and poor proportions of cob to kernel. a) Medium cob, large, uniform, well packed kernels; b) cob too small, kernels too long, thin and loosely arranged; c) cob too large, kernels too shallow.

April/May 2026

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