The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1882-09-29
The Future OF Corn.


Till within the past few years little
anxiety has been felt in any part of the
country about the supply of corn.
There was q general impression it could
be raised with considerable profit in
nearly every State and Territory. In
most of the States enough was raised TO
supply the local demand. In some
States it was leading crop, and it was
Thought that its profitable production
could be greatly extended in others,
whore the attention of farmers was
mainly devoted to the growing of cotton,
tobacco, and the small grains. There
was scarcely any demand for it for ex-
portation, and its employment for max
ing glucose and starch was not known,
Il was used to considerable extent as
food for human beings, and was very
generally employed for fattening hogs
Gin sections where 1t was extensively
grown. 1t was rarely fed to other hors-
IS than those engaged IN work on the
farm, and was still more rarely fed to
COWS. There was no fresh beef or NUT
ton sent abroad, and there was only
limited demand for highly fattened meat
at home. As a consequence sheep and
steers were generally fattsned on grass
with the aid OF q few roots. In most of
the western States corn was n drug i'll
the markets. With poor facilities for
transportation, comparatively little OF it
was sent to eastern cities. Corn was
often so, cheap and plenty that it was
burned for fuel. Farmers preferred to
raise small grains for the market, for
the reasons that their price was higher
and they would stand transportation
better. In parts of the country were
corn was very productive K was gener-
ally thought that the business of rails
ing was greatly overdone.
A short time has been sufficient to
produce great changes in relation to
corn. It's uses have multiplied and in
creased. 1t is now employed to make
starch and glucose, as well as to make
alcohol, whisky, highwines and vinegar.
Considerable quantities of it are con-
verted into malt. In all the great dairy
districts it is extensively employed in
feeding milch COWS. There is great
and growing demand for fancy fatted
beef and mutton for export. and home
consumption. To fatten steers and
sheep as the market requires it is nee
essary to feed corn in large quantities.
Vast quantities of it are now sent to
almost every country in Europe this
side of Russia for the same purpose.
American corn is used to feed both beef
and dairy cattle in Denmark. 1t is al
so used to feed the coach and dray
horses in Great Britain and France.
Now, while the uses for corn have in
creased and multiplied in most re-
markable manner, its cultivation has
not extended to any considerable extent
into new sections of the country, and
has not greatly increased in foreign
countries. The entire country from
Puget Sound TO the Gulf of California
is opened up to settlement, but no corn
is raised except in q very few favored
localities. Dakota and Montana are
fast being peopled with farmers, yet
scarcely any corn is or can be produced
there. Few of what are called the new
States and Territories produce much
corn. They are deficient in warmth or
moisture, or both. Corn was never a
profitable crop to raise in the Southern
States, and as the soil becomes ex-
hausted of its fertility its production
becomes still more difficult. People
have finally become convinced that the
extent of country adapted to the profit
able production of corn is quite limited.
1t is embraced in a strip of country
about two hundred miles wide. and ter
minating about two hundred miles west
of the Missouri river.-Iocd Home
stead.
A enrrr,srv loo Eaa, for,,n1 A., intro