I'm very pleased to show this picture of corn from this year's harvest. A flat of unidentified corn plants had come to me needing the space to grow and I planted them out in June unsure of what I had on hand, except some vague mumblings from woman who gave them to me that she thought they might be some 'Indian corn.'
Like there was some other kind? But I took it to mean she thought they were a flour corn, not a 'sweet' corn. As they grew, the kernels did not look like sweet corn, some had neat rows, some were jumbled (like Country Gentleman). I never looked at all the corn, but I knew there were some different colors in the mix.
When I harvested the corn last week, I was dumbfounded pulling the shucks off the ears by the variety and beauty of the kernels! Look at the ear at the bottom of the photo, or the one on the right above the red ear! It is as if each kernel was hand painted by a meticulous painter, each one a true work of art. I am making sure I've got them dried enough to keep and I'll be planting the seeds of those two ears for certain in the coming year!
david
More data on the corn plants donated back in June: The plants were from a special cross called 'Mexican Wedding Corn' because the family of the bride and the family of the groom would each donate some seeds to be grown together. Being wind pollinated, the different varieties of corn would cross and reveal new hybrids (much like the human children born of the couple) - and sometimes interesting ones! In the photograph you can make out several different crosses that look hopeful - I hope to plant out the kernels from the ear in the center and achieve a stable cross. I've already got a name for it: Painted Mountain Corn. These are flour corns for tortillas, masa or cornbread.
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