l south. Among the objects of
culture in the United States, it takes precedence in the scale of
cereal crops, as it is best adapted to the soil and climate, and
furnishes the largest amount of nutritive food. Besides its production
in the North American Republic, its extensive culture is limited to
Mexico, the West Indies, most of the States of South America, France,
Spain, Portugal, Lombardy, and Southern and Central Europe generally.
It is, however, also cultivated with success in Northern, Southern,
and Western Africa, India, China, Japan, Australia, and the Sandwich
Islands, the groups of the Azores, Madeira, the Canaries, and numerous
other oceanic isles.

Maize is not a favorite grain as bread-corn with the European nations,
for although it abounds in mucilage, it is asserted to contain less
gluten, and is not likely to be much used by those who can procure
wheaten flour, or even rye bread.

The large importations which were made by our Government during the
prevalence of the potato disease, brought it into more general use
among some classes, and the imports for home consumption are still
extensive, having been as follows in the last few years:--

1848. 1849.
Indian corn, quarters 1,582,755 2,249,571
" meal, cwts. 233,880 102,181

1850. 1851.
Indian corn, quarters 1,286,264 1,810,425
" meal, cwts. 11,401

The trade in maize, or Indian corn, is totally new since 1846. The
famine in Ireland in that year, and the potato rot in almost every
successive year since, have now fully established it. Like the gold
discoveries, the potato rot may be regarded as a providential means of
effecting a great change in the condition of society. Those
discoveries are not without their influence in the East, and, combined
with the potato rot, they have rapidly increased the commerce between
the East and West of Europe, while they are spreading broad paths
between all Europe and the lands in the Southern Ocean. The imports of
maize from all parts, in 1852, amounted to 1,550,000 quarters, of
which about 1,100,000 quarters arrived in vessels from the
Mediterranean, &c., calling at Queenstown or Falmouth for orders. The
balance consisted of imports from America, France, Portugal, &c., and
also of cargoes addressed dire