Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-07-08
agricultural.
Indian Corn.

This country is the birthplace, the cher
ished home, the great consumer. and the
stronghold of Indian corn. Considering
its value as Il staple article of food; that IL
has the most extensive range of tempera-
ture and the widest geographical area OF
al cereals. growing luXurlantly at the
equator and us far rs the fiftieth parallel of
north latitude; that il is the most fatten-
ing of all cereals and the most strengthen
inc and wholesome fof man or beast or
fowl: and that il is one of the most beautl-
full crops in the world-it is surprising that
the people of Europe and of other parts of
the world have been 50 slow to recognize
its Importance and that its cultivation is
still limited substantially to its native soil.
Our crop, reaching u thousand millions of
bushels annually, is ten fold greater prob
ably. than that of all the rest of the world
together.
In Europe. generally, the cultivation of
Indian corn has been extended somewhat
within Il few years, but it is nowhere II
crop of any Importance. In England it
has been introduced reluctantly and hith-
ERIC sparinglv. In France the production
is stated to be thirty millions of bushels.
There it is chiefly used for feeding poultry,
as in England one of its principal uses is
for feeding pheasants. In Italy IA more
decided and successful effort has been
made to give maize u rank among the
cereals, the product last year being about
fortv-tve millions of bushels. There it is
used more commonly as food; in the
province of Turin the laborer shares the
produce with the master or land owner. In
Lombardy, also, the workman receives Il
proportion of the product, which, with rye
and flour, is made into u coarse bread, us
in this country formerly. much more so
than now rye, Indian andflour, or thirded
bread, rs it was called, was very common
and they who remember it will say very
good-although rye and Indian, in equal
proportions, was ut one time literally the
daily bread of the country people Of New
England. What is denominated " Boston
brown bread,' made now exclusively by
the bakers, and found in most of the north
ern cities, is a very humble imitation of
the old-fashiOned rye and Indian" made
in large conical loaves aud baked in the
now discarded but Incompatible brick
oven, allowed to remain therein over
night, to be served up Shaking hot for
breakfast with the luscious beans and pork,
accompanied not unfrequently by the once
universal favorite. but now, alas, forgotten
dish Of pan-dOwdy." Corn meal is also
used in Italy, mixed with vegetables and
favored with bacon and called p0lenta
In Austria the annual production of In
dian corn is about eleven millions of bush
els. In Hungary, where the soil seems to
be peculiarly adapted to the crop, the annu-
al production is not far from seventy mil
lions of bushels, and large quantities are
exported to England. In Greece Indian
corn is in some instances planted after the
winter barley has been cut in May. The
crop does not exceed three millions OF
bushels. 1t is used by the peasantry fol
making a bread called :. bobota,1 or wher
mixed with barley. Z" keramcdopita. II
Portugal the produce amounts to fifteer
millions of bushels. Here it is used almos
universally, in mixture with rye. fol
making a coarse but wholesome brown
bread called ''broa." The acknowledged
well-being of the Portuguese peasant i
attributed to this bread.
1t was not until the famine in IRELAND
that Indian com found in Great Britain any
favor. Then Mr. Goblet exerted grea
Influence in its behalf by denouncing tho
potato and recommending the corn as
substitute. AS late as lS45 Great Britain
imported only two hundred and forty hun
dred weight, say forty-two thousand bush
els. Two years later the imports were
twenty eight millions of bushels, and nov
they reach thirty-four milions-l gooC
portion of which is from the Udted States
The bulk of this large importation is di
rected to Ireland, where the people, driver
by necessity to the change, have largel,
substituted Indian corn for the long cher
ished potato.