The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-08-31
farm and AunstIIuld.
Our Great what it
Will Produce.

extraordinary between this and October
there will be the greatest and best crop OF
corn ever grown In the United States. Nc
one corn crop anywhere in the world car
compete withit. Maize, corn, is 80 common
aplant with us---so much matter Of course
that we do not put half its true value on
H. There is no plant on earth equal to H. in
the countries where II IL produced 1t is
tho wealth Of the Ohio Valley, whose thick
ening population gather from IL gold and
silver faster aud easier than any mines can
produce them. There is one consideration
which makes the value Of Indian corn much
beyond any common estimate. This is the
variety Of its uses. Let us take q few sam.
pies. The cities Of New York, Boston, Phil
adelphia and Baltimore as well as other
cities, derive all their animal food from the
West but every one OF the millions OF cat
tle and hogs are fattened on Ihdian corn.
So, too, those millions of people, both no.
groes and whites, who eat ouly corn-bread.
Go, too, there are millions of people who
use whisky, directly or indirectly; but
whisky is made of Indian corn. Then there
are millions Of animals supported il winter
both by the grain aud fodder of corn. IL
IL we're necessary we could make oil our
molasses from corn. In one word, there is
no plant which can be put to as many uses
~ corn Then there is no plant really more
beautiful. Its deep green, its dropping
leaves, its falling tassels, It's graceful wav.
ing in the wind, make IL one of the most
beautiful objects of the vegetable world.
Suppose some decree of Provi Ience were h.
deprive the Ohio Valley of corn; what
should we doH The glory of the country
would be goue half the value of it's lands
would be destroyed. Think of the Ohio
Valley being reduced TO no more than the
crops Of Sweden or Norway. 1t is by
such comparison that wo can imagine
what the deprivation Of corn would DO to
us. II again, we turn to the positive side
Of the account, statistics will give us some
idea OF what Indian corn is. The people OF
Ohio raise an average of thirty bushels to
each living person, small and great annu.
ally Now, imagine the two hundred and
thirty thousand people in Cincinnati, each
one with thirty bushels of corn. A bushel
Of corn contains sixty pounds of solid grain. |
Now suppose the crop eighty millions of
bushels land this year it will he more) and |
you have as the seasons crop four thousand |
eight hundred millions of pounds of grain
besides, IA much weight in fodder. II is |
almost inconccvable in magnitude Just for |
the State of Ohio. II you reflect that wheat
averages but little more than one third as
much to the acre, aud contains no more
pounds to the bushel, you see that IL falls |
far short of corn in it's positive utilitaran
value. II is true that by the very fact Of
its less production it is higher in price, but
when you come to bring wheat down to !
every day uses 1t Is inferior in variety and |
value to corn 1t may be dstilled. Ii may
DO Ted to cattle, but tho inlerority of its |
production per acre is in this climate deci- |
ued' In high northern latitude the advan
tage mlghl be IN favor of wheat. Lot us
now turn'to the corn statistics of the United
Slatsss aud see how we are adya,, cling in
"eaabriul plant. The statistics ,,,f the
Va. VI corn IN the United States I, 1r
pro1uo'.. ~" years areNs follows, viz:
Busheis.
In ls40, total crop ''''''''''''''' Sm'eSi 30
In 1880, total crop .....''.'''''''' 2'ou,sn
In 1860, total crop '''' '.''''' oov'aol,aVo
In 1865, total crop (estmated) S9,Ouo,ooO
The increase being at the rate Of per
cent, per annum, the aggregate crop OF
1866 viii be over one thousand millions Of |
bushels Estimate this at sixty cents per
bushel, and conceive, If you can, the FEEDING |
po,psr of his enormous quantity OF Md'd" |
corn. Three or four years ago corn was
40 abundant in Illinois that it was used Tor
fusl. The chief use of corn is the produo'
tion of carbon in the animal stomach,
and this production can be carried on IN the
stomach of almost all animals, from the ieath-
cred biped to the unteathered bped, man
As we see, however, daily, before us, il is
chiefly applied to cattle, hogs aud horses,
and certainly we must consider this is a
wonderfully luxurious country, where our
domestic aninlals command food lit Tor the
daintiest man,
Let us next consider those portions ol
the United States where Indian corn ia the
staple, in comparison with other srans:
New England, New York aud New Jersey,
3S,94S, 800 bushels.
Pennsylvania, Maryland Delaware, Nir'
ginia North Carolina and South Carolina,
1895, ,249 bushels.
Geoagia, Florida, AAhlma, Mlssissippi,
Louisiana, Arkansas aud Texas, l41 ,421
726 bushels
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Ten
nessee, Missouri, Michgan, Wisconsin,
Minnesota, Iowa aud Kansas, 550,621,'
943 bushels.
The enormous prepon1erance Of Indian
corn in the central West is here obvious.
But we should remark that the States of
Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota aud kau-
sas have produced but u very small portion
of this aud that, in fact hdT tie immense
crop Of Indian corn qr0ra in Ms UAHstf
States is produced IN tie pdAey Of the OHIO
dad Missouri, No doubt the main cAuse
of this is climatic, but does not dcpond ON
the most southern climate. 1t depends N
a combination of warmth, humidity aud
limestone, which is nowhere louud in such
a combination as in the Ohio Valley. Indian
corn is grown in France, Italy, tho West
Coast, parts OF Asia, &o., ~, bat nowhere
is there a climate adapted To It So good as
that oi tue valley OF the Oaio.
We should remark here, that maize (lu
dian corn) is an American plant, and II
would almost seem from the historical and
collateral evidence to be a native of this
very region of country. Dr.. Pickering, II
his "Raoes of Man"-a most valuable worb
says, that the plant most widely cult
waited in aboriginal America is the mdise
or Indian corn. II it shall prove foreign
there is but one route open tO It's lntrOduc
ton that of Japan. II is further NANTES
from the local absence OF the plmt, tha
North California was not the point OF dis
semination to other parts OF America" II
fact, thero is no evidelea that corn origin
ated in any other country. AMI all eylleac,
possible is the imperfect history of ia
aboriginals, that it originated hNre. Tn
maize was found in the RUNS OF the ancien
ludian towns of Peru. But maize was uo
introduced Into Egypt till the sjx,eeull
century; nor-into Italy TIL 1890. We fin,
il ia all other countries an introduced o
immigrant plant; but in America il Wa
cultivated everywhere by the aboriginal
and found on the runs OF its ancient nionr
ments. Maize then is American. aud "