Try this company: http://www.rareseeds.com/

ETA This web site is Baker's Seeds.

Well, any place that sells heirloom seed, I guess. Baker Creek, Johnny's Selected Seeds, Peaceful Valley, Annie's Heirloom Seeds...Just Google "Heirloom sweet corn."

That said, corn does best planted in blocks. If you plant just a row, you'll likely have poorly-filled ears, 'cause the pollen is carried by the wind from the tassel of one plant to the silks on another, and with a single row, it has to blow in just the right direction. With a block you might have some issues at the edges, if the wind is particularly one-sided, but you'll have more luck that you would with a row. Most advice I've seen says to plant in a block at least 4x4 (that is, 4 plants by 4 plants.) A completely filled ear of corn had two bits of pollen hit every single strand in the silk, so it takes a ridiculous amount to fill an ear.

As to variety, there are lots to choose from - Golden Bantam is kind of the classic yellow sweet corn. If you like a white corn, Country Gentleman is kind of fun - it's a "shoepeg" type corn, which means that the kernels aren't lined up in neat rows.

Just keep in mind that if you grow two different kinds of corn, and they both silk at the same time, you're likely to end up with bi-color corn, since cross-pollination in corn does affect the current year's crop.

The only certain thing about corn available in the 50'and 60's is that they were all Su types, Most folks grew hybrids like Aristogold, Seneca Chief, Golden Cross Bantam. Stowell's Evergreen Country Gentleman and Burpee's Golden Bantam were popular old Open pollinated types that are still widely available. Many of the farm stores, Feed an Seeds will have them in addition to most on line vendors.

farmerdill is a wealth of info on older varieties of many vegetables, especially corn varieties. I had completely forgotten Seneca Chief and it used to be a real favorite. Thanks for the reminder! :-)

Dave

I can't say how they perform as this is my first year, but I'm going a Stowell's Evergreen sweet corn and Cherokee White Eagle flour corn this summer- both heirlooms. Might be of help!

I'm growing Early Sun Glow Hybrid this year. I believe it's a breed from the 1960's. I have no idea if it's Su, or something else. Just planted it on Saturday from starts I had going in doors under lights. I went with foot spacing in offset rows. 42 plants in a 6 to 7 plants per row.

That is just because I am an antique Dave. The 50's were my teenage years on the farm. Folks who preferred white corn had no hybrid choice until Silver Queen was introduced in 1960. White corn dominated the Sweet corn market until the introduction of Burpee's Golden Bantam in the early 20's. Yellows took off as there many efforts to improve on the original including some hybrids introduced in the 30's. The old op's ( 19th century varieties) were popular until Silver Queen started a new era. They are antique old commercial varieties Stowell's Evergreen, Country Gentleman/Shoepeg, Black Mexican ( my mother's favorite), Howling Mob. Robson Farms introduced a long line of Seneca series sweet corn starting in the 30's and they were good but all yellows

johnnels, What variety did they raise then?

I prefer eating the newer corn rather than NK199 or the like.

Thanks everybody. Wayne, It's been too long to recall the variety, even if I knew it at the time. I do recall that the very best was from a 4-5 foot stalk and the ears were only 4-5 inches, but great flavor. It was an early corn. Grown in the late 60's and maybe early 70's.

I can not believe no one has ask what color the corn the original poster is looking for. Also hybrid sweet corn has been available widely since mid- 1930's so it is very possible that corn the original poster remembers is a hybrid.

Johnnels. That sounds like the original Burpee Golden Bantam. Usually sold today as 8-row Golden Bantam short plants , small ears, yellow. It was the best tasting sweet corn of its day and held its popularity for 30+ years. At the time when its competitors were 90 day varieties, it was an early corn. Today, there are lots of earlier varieties and 80 days is a main season variety.

I would try Golden Bantam or Honey and Cream. Both taste very good. I really like Honey and Cream. Silver queen is another old time corn.