Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1903-09-24
Tortillas.

TortiIIae.
In conjunction with the systematlc
effort made in recent years by the
United States to make known IN Eu-
rope the food value. or, rather, taDle
value. of Indian corn, it may interest,"
| many housekeepers to know how tor-
tillas are made. These tort1llas are
as nan know, thin cakes OF corn'
and are used in Mexico and otaer
Spanish-American countries almost
universally in lieu Of wheat q
The corn. selected clean kernels for
best results, is boiled in lime water
until soft. It is then washed thor
oughly in water to remove all traces
of lime, and rubbed between the hands
to remove the outer husk of the corn.
The clean corn is then ground, while
wet, to a soft mass, which is easiest
accomplished with a peanut butter
mill. The wet dough resulting from
grinding is patted into thin cakes OF
convenient size and baked on a dry
griddle (that is, without fat) and
served hot. In the better class fami-
lies it. is usual to have~one servan:
bake these tortillaa continually dur.
ing the course of a meal. so that the
table may be supplied fresh from the
grlddle all the time. While these
cakes are a radical departure to all
English speaking people, many soon
develop a great liking for them. They
are especially palatable when eaten
with highly favored meat dishes, such
as the Mexican Chile o carne," and
also when spread with butter. 1t may
be we'll to add that no salt is used in
the preparation of these cakes.-Sci.
entifc American.
A Large Cotton Crop-Lower Prices.
1t begins to appear as If the supply
of cotton this year will be fully equal
to all requirements. and the cotton
planters OF the South will doubtless act
wisely in selling the cotton they have
raised just as promptly as it can be
brought to market.
The u. S. Government in it's report
on the cotton crop, issued on the Sd of
September, makes the condition of the
crop S1.2. This is 17.2 per cent. better
than the report at the same time last
year, and the acreage shows an in
crease of about four per cent. This is
a total Of twenty-one per cent. over last
years indicated production, which is
the equivalent of about 1900, 900 bales
of cotton. The indicated crop is, there
fore, somewhere in the neighborhood
Of 100000 bales, and while it is pos
sible that an early frost or bad wealth
crop Of at least Il, 600 bales
or over seems probable. Such a crop if
undoubtedly means much low
er prices. 1t is to be hoped that the
planters of the South will not
be misled by false prophets into hold
ing their cotton, but hat they will, on
the contrary, sell it as rapidly rs it
comes in. Nearly all authorities are
confirmatory of the Government
Mr.. Theodore n. Price, the
expert, makes the condi-
ton eighty-three and the crop II. 7OO,-
900 bales, and the figures of the New
York Journal Of Commerce indicate
about the same conclusion.
The truth seems to be that the alb
normally high prices to which cotton
advanced during the spring and sum-
mer. although they profted planters but
little, as the crop was practically all
marketed before these prices were re-
allied, have greatly stimulated plant
ing and production in every direction.