The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-02-11

ro,.sc,, a. ,bo guns are not fired with as
c~.,to, win soon become as absurd ana
grotcsquc as "a knight OF the nhdo'e ases
would be should one appear on a mourn
battlefield with an iron pot on MS ''i'
and some iron pans enclosing MS oo"s
such as the suits OF armor ;chsis'oI y.
when priy<tc rapinc and plumber WIS
doo,,od "a suifahle pursuit for gentlemen.
Tho or,oor has become useless. Dut We
ho,o b, survival of that typo OF men
an,onc the limoges in the House ana sen
ale who threaten 10 block the treaty VI
arbitration. They differ from their pro
tctvpes however. In not proposing 10 Put
,bomse,vcs inside the iron pots ana pans
their purpose being to put othcr pcop'o
inside the stcel-clad naval vessels VINO
may take all the risks while they serene
~ share what are called "the honors OF
thejr postion. II may be rather humihat-
Too 60 tho nation THAT We can only render
Them harmless by destroying the resisting
mower OF the armor-clad engines OF war
with which they propose 10 work their
hase nurposes Rather would we prefer
10 enSaso the walls OF the capitoi IN corn
stalk pith 20 that their appeals 10 passion
and prejudice might never he heard nut
30 long as that cannot be done we ma!
rest satisfied with corn-stalk rams "I'Se
heads shall be as impervious 10 shot anu
shell as the skulls OF 'he lingoes IN Coh-
grcss arc impervious to any conception
of right or reason.
While we may thus hope that the ce'iu-
lose nth may be applied TO the mann
tenance Of peace, II Is yet more certain
to assure plenty. It's food properties are
vastly more important than its use IN
naval construction. The pith constitutes
about one-half the bulk and one-eiehth
the weight Of the raw material Atter
the pith is taken out the other part.
weighing seven-cights Of the weight OF
the stalk Is kiln dried. II then may DC
fol IA stock i'm a most digcstble condi-
zion one paramount objection TO the ex-
tonsive use of the corn stalk has hereto
fore been that this rith absorbs tho saliva
and the gastric juice. thus making II
very doubtful and often injurious kind OF
food vet measures were being taken TO
utilize IL moro fully.
Among the inventions since 1893 Is corn
harvester which will make as great a
evolution in the harvesting of corn ms
| the self-bindcr did I'm respect TO wheat.
Another invention is machine INTO
| which the corn stalk, with leaves and
| ears upon II are thrown into hopper.
| The product comes out shelled corn on
| one side and whole plant growth shred
| ded on the other. so that II can be pack
| ed in bales like hay. The silicated edges
| Of the shreds however. make the mouths
! Of the cattle sore. The separation ana the
! grinding now appear 20 remove all OBJ
J jections to this corn-stalk food After
| more than years experience at the FIX
| pertinent Station i'm Maryland II IS found
| that the cattle prefer the kiln dried neal.
| eating it up clean, and when It is mixed
| with nitrogcnous food as hay Is mixed
| in making a complete ration II gives from
| \ W cont more milk
| and more meat than the best hay.
| The weight of an average crop or
| corn in the grain is sixty million tons
| 900 t.. 1t is alleged have not
| vet verified it that the weight of the
| plant which will now be converted IS
| ctne hundred and seventy-five million
| Q15 600 OOO tons-twenty per cent water
| I'm its ordinary condition. That will give
| in dry weight from eighteen TO twenty
| million GS0OO.0O0 Of 20,OOO0cO tons of pith
| and about one hundred and twenty mil
| lion Q20 900. 0c0) tons of food worth ton
| for ton certainly as much as hay, that
| quantity is little more than double the
| present hay crop Of the United States.
| But that is not the whole. Every chem
| list or every one who has had any occa-
| sion TO deal with the subject knows the
| value Of cellulose The parties who rep
resent this invention claim TO make
| translucent and flexible plates which will
| take the place Of glass in many cases
| and they expect TO make unbreakable
| lamp chmueys.
The pith is treated before it IS used
| in the ships of war so as to make II
| practically incombustible This fact has
| been demonstrated. although the process
| is not disclosed. When exposed 10 a very
high degree of heat it gives off the smell
| of ammonia. I infer that ii is treated
with phosphate of ammonia. one of the
| well-known substances which has been
| applied to such purposes.
or the pulp in the form OF pure plates
or OF prepared plates rendered incom-
| bustble, there viii be such a large
quantity that it may be made use of in
the interspaces of the walls of wooden
houses TO keep out the cold. 1t may be
| used in constructing refrigerators IL may
be made into a covering for steam pipes
| and boilers. and again the claimants
| say that II Is so cheap and equal 10
| curled hair that it may be made into hos
| pital beds to be burned after the fever
| patient has left. If converted into mat
| tresses for use on shipboard each mat
| tress will become a life-preserver. But
| Of what use will they be on an unsinka-
BILE ship? But that is not the end OF the
| matter.
now begin on points which have not
verified. but which from otner informa-
| ton may be justified.
| II Is claimed that when the Kindred
| meal is treated for sugar it yields more
cane sugar than an equal weight OF sugar
| cane will give. while what is left becomes
a paper stock OF most excellent quality.
The corn food has been treated by the
representatives of the American Spirits
| Company, and on their testimony this
product yields pure alcohol free OF fusel
oil.
Among the lesser products there Will
be smokeless eunpowder. liquid cellulose.
water-proofinG compounds for wood lea
Their and cloth.
Our national corn-feld is a little over
one hundred and twenty thousand O20 81
000) square miles in extent, or about a
third Of all our plowed land We might
put ten times that area into corn and
may do so when we can ind Il market for
all our corn products.
! 1 have made many addresses and writ
ten many articles upon the thesis that in
respect TO any reasonable time on which
We can possible make forecast the
power of production OF the necessaries
OF nfe i'm this country is unlimited. the
power of consumption is limited. We
are already striving 10 find an outlet
by export for the excess OF our food
fuel. metal, principal hbres, and fabrics