The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-02-18
A CORN CONVENTION
A Meeting Called at Chicago tc
Boom the Cereal.
A CORN PROPAGANDA IN EUROPE.
Plans to lie Devlsed for Educating the Peo-
pie Mt Home and Abroad IA to
the Value OF Corn as
Food.

CHICAGO, Feb. H. Corn growers and
men interested in obtaining a wider
field for corn products will convene
next Wednesday at the Great North
ern hotel. The convention will be
unique in It's way, and from it much of
first Importance to farmers, millers
aud machine manufacturers the coun-
try over is expected. 1t is to be the
first corn convention in the history of
the nation. Nearly every one of the
middle western states and a goodly
number of the far western common
wealths will be represented. The gov
ernor of Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and
Nebraska have appointed delegates to
represent those states at the eonven-
ton, and it is expected that two of the
state executives will be present. The
Illinois, Indiana and Kansas boards of
agriculture will have special represent
atives here, and so will the govern
ment experiment stations and the state
universities of many of the western
states. f. ID. Coburn, of Kansas, is
likely to be chairman of the conven-
ton.
The object of the gathering is to de-
wise plans for educating the people at
home and abroad to an appreciation
of the value of corn as food. The
corn millers will occupy the fore
ground at the meeting on this score.
They say the people are not fully
aware OF the manifold possible uses of
corn as food. They have made ar
rangements for Il practical demonstra-
ton of their claims at "a Washington
street, where they will conduct free
corn kitchen. There will be cooked.
by expert chefs, bread crackers, table
delicacies and also some new corn
dishes which have not tickled the
popular palate up to this date. More
than this they will have the kitchen
employees use maize soap in washing
the dishes and cooking utensils, this
soap having for its basic ingredient
corn oil Cooking classes will be in
structed and lectures given on the gem
eral use of corn as an effective diet.
| The domestic science committee of the
National Farmers congress and the
! secretary of the National Pure Food
association, Miss Emma c. Sickles,
will cooperate in this demonstration.
Two hundred delegates are counted
on to be present at this convention by
Il. w. Snow, chairman of the commit
tee on arrangements. 1t is probable
that not n few railroad officials will be
on the ground, so much Importance do
they attach to the corn interests in the
United States. Then there will be
many representatives of the agricul-
tural press and agents of large con-
Germs that depend upon corn and corn
by-products.
| The corn men want to take up the
/ plan put into execution by the former
secretary of agriculture, jeremiah
Ruslt whereby the corn exported to
foreign countries was tripled in guam
tity and upheld in price. Germany
! bought Is, 600, 900 bushels of corn in six
years ending with 1891, and during
the same length of time since has pur-
chased ~, 900, 900 bushels. In the four
years preceding 1891 Germany bought
81, 900, 900 bushels, at an average price
of 46 cents bushel, and during the
four years following 1891 she paid for
"a, 200, 600 bushels an average price of
81 cents per bushel. The secretary of
agriculture brought about these re-
suits partly by sending abroad an
agent who advertised American corn
until he and his ware became quite Il
fad across the water. Another corn
propaganda in Europe will be advo-
Gated at this meeting.
Another biect to he touched upon
is that of special exhibition of corn
products at the Omaha exposition this
year. If the plan proves successful
the experiment will be repeated at the
pan-American exposition at Buffalo.
The browning effort in this line will
materialize at Paris in 1900, where the
full and comprehensive showing of
corn and its products, and particularly
its food uses, will be so placed rs to
attract the attention of Europe.