The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-06-26
THE CORN MADE VALUABLE.

Surely this is an age of progress and
development
Until receutly--very recently-the corn
stalk was regarded as a worthless thing.
mere eumberer OF the ground; but sclen-
tifo development has appeared upon the
scene, and now the corn stalk Is soon to
be, and in some sections is even now.
commodity OF genuine value. and as the
Industries using them multiply will in
crease in value. This Is especially a mat
ter OF congratulation to the farmers Of the
country, and especially so to those Of the
South, for the reason that the price OF
cotton, which has for years been their
main money product, has gone SO low as
20 render its production matter OF specu-
lative value Had 1t not been for the
money value added by the seed OF this
staple In consequence OF the great devel-
opment of the oil industry cotton would
long ago have been regarded as hardly
worth its planting.
There is now but little money value to
corn In this section, when 1t is considered
merely as a marketable product. Our close
proximity to the great corn producing
West by reason of our innumerable rail
road connections with that section, makes
this true. Hence our farmers hnd their
main value in corn in feeding 1t to their
stock, thereby realizing an indirect bene-
fit from It In a financial way.
With factories started up over the conn
try, however to utilize the stalks that are
left in their fields after gathering time.
they Will unquestlonably get enough
money out of the heretofore discarded
stalk TO render their corn crop more val
liable than It has been in the past as a
direct money getter.
1t Is said that 25OOO0,o00 tons OF corn
stalks 80 to waste Ia this country every
year. II this great waste can be turned
into practical use. think of what tho re-
suits would be,
The New York Commercial Is authority
for the statement that our farmers have
been throwing away 5000, 900, 900 worth OF
stalks every year The yield OF stalks
averages three tons per acre, and the
average corn acreage of the country Is put
at S00o0,00o, During the last twenty
years, according to the Commercial, $751;
oOo,OOO,OOo worth OF this product has been
thrown away.
Tho Nashville American has this to say
OF this new industry
Six different commodities are now being
manufactured from cornstalks, namely, cellu-
lose, worth 500 ton. used by the govern
msrt as an automatic hole stoprer for bat
tleshps excellent cardboard. fine grade OF
paper, an unequaled foundation for dyna-
mite, patent cattle food and superior glue.
The value OF the eellulose lining for warshps
Is ven known. When a leak deyelops the
o-lulQse sWells In such maancr as 70 nu.
tomatically close II, With fifteen tots o!
STALKS. worth $50, one ton OF such GellulosS
is made. Tor which. as already stDtcd tho
go eminent la nov paying at the rate Of slc0
ton Two factories, one In Rockford. H..
ard another In greensboro. Ky. are now
making cornstalk relulose. turethcr with
other products OF less value. As respects the
coihatalk cattle food. 1t Is stated that tho
sta'As wien ground to a coarse meal. Cooked.
swoetened with molasses and pressed into
cRkes form one Of the most nutritlve and val
uaolo foods yet placed on the market Tho
absorptVo power OF ceiiulose dust its il adj
mirably for the manufacture Of dynamite by
mixing with nitro-Rlvcerine. such dust beiug
super}or even to gun cotton. Five factories
saws the Commercial are 10 he M once
erected. In addition to those already IN oper
fortune q the proposed combine that Il will
II successful have for its object to enlarge.
or In fact. create an industry, not TO stiie H..
This opens new field for Industrial de-
Yeopment in the South, and the sooner
our people realize its Importance and 20
to work in its development the sooner this
section will realize the numerous benefits
that will naturally follow in its wake.