, 1859-08-19

Until reocntly violent prejudice has exist
ed among the English people against tho use
Of Indian Corn as IN article offood; and indeed
we may say that not a little Of it still remains.
Much Of this feeling is undoubtedly owing to
ignorance Of the various methods in vogue III
the United States for preparing it for the table;
and some Of it undoubtedly has grown out Of
tho fact that our English cousins made their ear
licst experiments with meal ground in the States
and. consequently, stale and musty by the time
it reached them. The eccentric William Cob
bctt, while residing in this country, contracted
strong liking for corn-bread rs used by the
Yankees. When lie returned to England he
entered zea1ously upon the task Of Introducing
it to the favorable notica Of john Bull. He
undertook its culture in defiance Of climatic
inlpossibilitics; lie set the example Of living
upon it; lo wrote about it; lie furnished all
the details respecting its culture, manufacture
into meal, and the modes Of preparing it for the
table; he made paper OF the husks, and prii.t-
cd book On Indian Corn upon this paper
But Cobbett lived at too early day to succeed
in his undertaking. The Britishers read his
books, but turned up their noses at his various
preparations Of Indian meal What Cobbett
couli not do, however, the famine Of lS47 proved
itself abundantly ableto accomplish. Prior to
that year, our exports Of Indian Corn to Great
Britain were small. In 1sA7 we shipped 10
British ports %, 81, ,09G bushels. When hun
ger pressed him. John Bull threw up Ills dis
gust to make room in his capacious stomach
for our corn bread. The experience Of that
year has done lin good. Since then he has
taken to johnny cake kindly, if not with a de-
cided relish. His average annual ccrsump-
ton Of Indian Corn-without tho Intervention
Of faninc-is now about 100000 bushels.
Cobbett ought to have lived = little longer.
Neverthelessas an article Of food, Indian Corn
is still handled little gingerly in Great Brit
ain. The art Of preparing il, in palatable forms,
is not fully understood. Take tho following
from the 4Mark Lane Express Of August lst,
1859, as evidence Of ti:e filct:
"Maizc -four, even Of the finest quality, call
not be baked uonc into bread. It fcr1nents,
like otltr flour, but the dough falls in the oven,
.ud gives cnnpact, soar like loaf which could
not be eaten daily. A cersnia quantity Of some
,tlacr substance must be mixed with It to make
/ good brea.l; third part uf Il heat, rye, OF po-
tato fecuia, il sufficient for this purl,use."
4 regiment Of American cooks-of Yankee
spinstcrs from tho North, Of Sucker ani Hoo
sicr girls from tho West, and Of experienced col
ored kitchen servants from the Soutll-ouglt
to make j six months invasion Of England
Before tho cnd Of that time, the kitchen ort-
oosts would all bo surrendered, potato lccua
would be thrown into the swiu tubs, mud we
should hear no more Of" compact soap.lke
'oaves." But even without such an invasion,
John Bull will, by and by, learn tire virtues Of
corn.bread, and the other palatcablc and
wholesome preparations If Indian Corn; aud
We shall always be able to supply him with as
much Of the raw material rs lie NAV want,