In keeping with the original purpose of the kitchen garden, the center of each quadrant is planted with useful and edible crops like "Rouges d'Etamps" pumpkins, scarlet runner beans, sunflowers and ornamental corn.

A CLUSTER of ornamental corn hung by the door meant a bountiful harvest.

More recently, a cluster of ornamental corn hung on or near the front door has become a decorative tradition much the same as lights strung on trees and shrubs at Christmas time.

They are often called either "ornamental corn" or "Indian corn", although each of those names has other meanings as well.

GARDEN shops, farm stands, florists, even supermarkets are selling clusters of ornamental corn.

Ms. Bon estimates there are about two million ears of ornamental corn to pull down.

A. Anyone with a few feet of sunny space can grow several stalks of ornamental corn, also known as Indian corn.

Seed sources for ornamental corns include the Territorial Seed Company, 20 Palmer Avenue, Cottage Grove, Ore. 97424, (503) 942-9547, for several early maturing kinds, and the Vermont Bean Seed Company, Garden Lane, Fair Haven, Vt. 05743, (802) 273-3400, for a five-inch-long, multicolored kind.

Crunchy Corn Q. Our first planting of ornamental corn succeeded beyond our wildest expectations.

But the only maize available, at 9:30 P.M., was some ornamental corn hanging on the door.