Daily camera., 1898-01-06
WILL GROW KAFFIR CORN
A New Plan to Fertilize the Arid
Regions Of tho West.
New Mills Will Have to Be Put Up
to Grind the Corn-It Makes a
Flour Finer Than That
of Wheat.

A new industry, which is expected to
have a great development during 1898,
and which will add largely to the asri-
cultural resources of the arid region Of
western Kansas, Nebraska and Okla
homa, once reckoned almost part OF
ne great American desert, is the rails
ing of kaffir corn. Kaffir. as its name
suggests, is of Africa origin, and is
substitute for both corn and wheat.
For two or three years past the depart
ment of agriculture has been expert
menting with it, and ithas been found
peculiarly adapted to the drought
stricken region of the west, where a
crop of Indian corn cannot be realized
oftener than once in three years on the
average. Kaffir, it is Gained, fourishes
best where there is least rainfall, and
the seven plaques of Kansas--drought,
sand. a,kali. hot winds. grasshoppers,
chinch bugs and fake rainmakers--w
be alike powerIess to affect it. Ii al!
that the advocates of the new cereal
claim for it proves true, it will. prove
boon. indeed, to the dry district, and
may even drive out its eighth and great
est p!ague-the mortgage holders.
In appearance, kaffir seems to be
cross between corn and sorghum. Its
season for growth is about the same as
that of native corn, and it is cultivated
in much the same manner The stalks
grow to a. height of from four to six
feet and are about the size and thick
LESS Of ordinary corn stalks. The stalks
hear more leaves than those of Indian
corn. however, and these leaves are
broader, longer and of deeper color.
The grain grows at the top of the stalk
and the kernels, which are unprotected
oy husks, are considerably smaller than
those of the native product and of a
dark purplish 'hue. These seeds, or
kernels, are very hard and firm, and in
grinding them there is little waste, on
account of the thinness of the hull. A
bushel of the grain weighs 60 pounds,
the same as wheat, but when ground it
requires six or seven pounds more Of
wheat to make an equal amount of
flour. Though the new gram is not
well enough established to determine
its average yield per acre, it is believed
that in this respect also it will have a
considerable advantage over wheat.
The one objection which was thus, far
prevented the cultivation of kafir from
reaching any considerable proportions
has been the inability of existing mills
to grind it into flour suitable for MAX
ing bread. Many Kansas farmers and
a few in Oklahoma raised a little of the
Eew grain as an experiment during the
past season. But when they took it to
the local mills, most of which arc
equipped for the old burr process of
grinding, the result was found unsat-
isfactory, as the -four, though excellent
for cattle, was not ground fine enough
for house use. To overcome this diff
Guilty two or three of the men, who are
interested in establishing kaflir as q
staple cereal, went to Chicago. where
a series OF experiments with different
kinds of machinery was carried on.
AS Il result, it was found that the
finest of roller machinery worked sat
isfactorily in reducing the rev grain
and turned it into flour whittier and of
finer quality than that obtained from
wheat. A mil ait Marquette, Kan, has
already been equipped with the new
machinery, and is doing a lively busi-
ness in grinding kaffir -four. 1t is an
nounced that a big mill, specially
equipped for this work, will be erected
in Chicago, and will soon be ready for
operation.
The flour mace TON ilaffir has been
examined and pronounced as nutritious
as wheat or corn. The bread made
from it is as light and as agreeable to
the taste as the best wheat bread. 1t
isclaimed that the new kind or -four viii
answer every purpose to fulfil which
Indian corn and wheat are now relied
on. The prospects of the new grain
seem every bright, and if it endures the
test of year or two of trial we may
expect to see it's cultivation extensive
ly adopted, at least in the region where
rain is an infrequent and uncertain
luxury and disappointment is often the
lot of the farmer who relies upon the
two great Americanstaples. Washing
ton Star.