The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-06-28
AMERICAN CORN FOOD.
FROM the Edinburgh (Scotland) Scottish
Leader MAY Il

from the Edinburgh (Sc0tland) Scottish
Leader, May T..
In the grounds of the exhibition, near
the lower end of the machinery section,
stands perhaps one OF the most inter-
esting and attractive of the outer build
ings, within which are illustrated the
uses to which American Indian corn
can be put. This is the first time that
people in Scotland have been taught
now to cook maize; and, no doubt,
many, after seeing and tasting the
numerous excellent qualities Of that
form OF food, will wonder why they
nave 80 long been kept in ignorance of
them The object OF the exhibit, which
mas been brought together through the
enterprise of Colonel Murphy, late of
the american army, Is to stimulate
throughout Europe the use of maize as
an article of human food. Hitherto it
has only been used In Britain for feed
| ing cattle, and for distilling purposes,
but before long II Is sure TO take it's
place In the human dietary. The corn
seems to be as uourishing as wheat or
oatmeal, and has many other adyan-
tages. II is. tor one thing, a good deal
cheaper, being only one third the price
OF wheat, and about half the price of
oatmeal, while II can be sold in this
country, after imporiation,a at a remark.
ably low price. Indeed, in the United
States II is 80 exceedingly cheap that it
scarcely pays the farmers the cost OF
production. For example, in one state
IL has been sold at the rate of 1S ceuts
per bushel. In 1889 the returns from
the United States agricultural depart.
hent showed u crop of twO billions two
hundred and fifty millions of bushels
OF Do pounds each, Iowa alone contrib
uting three hundred millions of
bushels. OF this quantity. il 10 calcu-
lated only about per cent. is export.
ed. Where does the rest 70, ,ic may be
asked? Much OF it, of course, serves
for human food, but every year there
is an enormous surplus, which Il re.
quires oil the ingenuity Of the Yankee
to exhaust. The surplus is used up In
various ways. Part Of II feeds cattle.
part goes to the manufacture of glucose,
Great quantities become converted into
starch, and from an Increasing amount
q certain description of oil is made,
The sweet green corn is canned, while
the stalks and leaves are good fodder
for animals. In some parts Of the west.
ern states. where other kinds of fueI
are scarce, II has been used in place of
coal and wood, and is said to form a
satisfactory substitute. From these
facts II will be seen that the annual
waste OF corn Is very great indeed; and
II Is to do something towards prevent
ing this waste that Colonel Murphy has
brought his exhibits TO Edinburgh. II
people are once acquainted with the
really wholesome and nutritious food
which can be made from this corn. II
ls thought that 1t will become 30 popu.
lar that the expectation from America
will be large enough to prevent any
waste whatever. Then there Is SO
much more land that can be put under
Indian corn, and the crop Is 80 steadily
increasing in quantity and quality that
there is little fear Of the demand exceed
ing the supply. There are possibly
many di4iculties In the way OF popu-
larizing II, but with energy and enter
prise which, 1t may be taken tor grant,
ed, would not be lacking, by the un-
doubted excellencies Ut the food itself,
these difficulties ought easily to be sur
mounted, and the use OF maize as a part
of human diet become universal. The
Indian corn bread is pleasant to the
taste, and II Is lighter than oatmeal;
but although this admission may lead
some ardent Scotchman to ask where
the writer's patriotism has gone, the
corn is one OF the staple articles OF food
in America, and the forms in which It
can be prepared for the table are in
Vulnerable. There are many different
kinds OF corn, such as Dent, flint, pop,
sweet, and soft. OF these, again, there
are great varieties. In the state of
Nebraska alone there have been found
to be seventy five, all perfectly distinct.
Or the numerous kinds, however, the
Dents are most used, though, from the
nature of the substance, il might be
thought that the flint and sugar varie-
ties are more nutritious. Pop corn,
so-called from the perfectly natural
manner II has of jumping under the
influence of heat, is kind from which
q very palatable sort of sweetmeat is
made. The bean, which is slightly big
g,r than pea, is placed in q wire box
and roasted over hot fire till IL ex-
plodes or expands to about the size of
u marble, the explosion being due 10
the presence of some c0mbustible oil.
which, when heated. leads to the BURST
ing of the grain. In this form Il Ia
eaten in some districts as food. When
it is to be made into sweetmeat, how
ever, 1t is soaked In honey, and after
wards compressed in q round hard
lump. Alter this process II tastes not
unlike sweet bran buscuit. Looking
to the nature of the exhibit, and the
object which Colonel Murphy has In
view, this stall, as unique and inter-
esting adjunct to the exhibition, is like
ly to attract considerable attention dur.
ing the season.