The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-01-29
USES FOR CORN STALKS.
Science Adds Millions to the Wealth
of Farmers.
From the New York Sun.

i'ui 'n' new lbTh sun.
Five years ago the farmer considered
the value of his corn crop practically
concluded with the husking of the corn
What was left was worth perhaps sixty
cents an acre as fodder rather under
that figure than over IL as rule.
Science. ever busily seeking uses for by
products. sought to make sugar and al
2ohol from the stalk of the corn, but
unavailingly. Now, however. expert
ments along different lines have estab-
lished the value of the by-products of
the corn crop as probably second to no
agricultural product of a similar nature
grown IN this country and has almost
If not quite doubled the receipts of the
corn growers, as the stalk is made
practically as valuable as the grain.
There is now a home market where the
farmer can get from SO to s. ton
for cornstalks: that is from S6 to $l2 an
acre for what has hitherto brought him
in sixty cents at best. The American
Agriculturalist which treats of this
new industry In leading article, de-
clares it to be one of the most import
ant departures in industrial history. 1t
gives the following list of what is made
from corn-stalks:
|. Ccllulose for packing cofferdams on
battleships. this preventing them from
sinking when pierced by balls or shells.
? Proxylin varnish, a liquid form Of
cellulose, the uses of which are prac-
tically unlimited.
g. Cellulose used for nitrating pur.
poses for making smokeless powder an3
| other high explosives. for both small
| for which dynamite or all other explo-
| sives are required in various forms and
degrees of strength.
| 4. Cellulose for packing. it being the
| most perfect non-conductor known
against heat or electricity, jars or
blows.
). Paper pulp and various forms or
paper made therefron, both alone and
mixed with other grades of paper stock.
6. Stock food made from fine ground
outer shells or shives of corn stalks,
and also from the nodes or joints. The
leaves and tasscls also furnish a
| SHREDDED or baled fodder.
| Z. Mixed feeds for stock. containins
| fine ground shells or shives as a base
and in addition thereto various nitro
genous meals and concentrated food
substances. or blood, molasses, distillery
and glucose refuse, sugar beet pulp
apple pomace and other by-products.
| 8. Poultry foods of two types, namely
type |, containing a dominant nitro
genous factor for laying hens. and No
9, containing a dominant carbohydrate
factor for fattening purposes.
The stalk of the maze plant. OF
American corn, Is made up as follows
on a basis of 100 pounds of air-dried
stalks stripped or leaves and tassels;
26 pounds of nodes or joints, 20 pounds
of Dith, coarse and fine, and 81 pound.
of shells or shives. The nodes contain
on an average. SO per cent. of pure
cellulose, the pith SO per cent and the
shives 40 per cent. This corn-pith cell
lulose Is of SO great value in nava
warfare that Lewis Nixon, the nava
constructor has declared 1t to be OF a.
much Importance as the development
of Harveyized armor and smokeles:
powder. Cofferdams along the side %
q vessel. when tightly packed Will
maize pith to thickness of three fee
will not leak when perforated witt
shells or solid shot. When the Golfer
dam containing this material is per
fOrated by a shot the elasticity Of tn,
tightly packed pith completely close,
the hole made by the projectile, so tha
the water cannot pass through Nat
urally some water must enter at tn
point of perforation, but owing to tn
great capacity of the pith to absorI
water, it being able to hold more tina,
twenty times it's own weight when no
pressed, the water that first enters i
at once absorbed. This causes the pitl
which is moistened to swell and thu
to close more completely the apcrtur
made by the projectile.
The Columbia, New York and Olyr.,
pia are thus protected and many of TIL
new warshics now under constructio,
in this country, Russia, England an
France are using the new material in
stead Of cocoanut fibre which wa
formerly employed. In the manufac
ture Of high explosives the corn pitt
forms an excellent basis because of it
admirable keeping qualities, and higl
class smokeless powders and dyna
mites are now made from this product
which is said to be superior to cotto
In that it is more easily nitrated an
cleaned.
In the arts OF peace the creates
value Of the corn pith at present
found in the liquid form Of the cellu
lose. known as pyroXylin varnsf
which is utilized in hundreds of way.
Nearly every thing that Is made fror
wood pulp can, 1t is said. be made fror
this material. Experiments are no,
under way looking to the manufactui
of paper from cornstalk pulp. For on
thing, It Is predicted that a substanc
will be produced from the woody GOV
ering of the stalks which will produc
a good quality OF paper at such pric
that it will be available for newspap pc
use. In the end It may be that TIL
cornstalk will save the forests of th
country which are being cut down fc
the consumption Of the wood pulp mill
The uses OF the cornstalk for packin
land food are varied but too technics