The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1908-01-01

vesting the greatest corn crop In her
history. The general adoption Of the
Williamson plan OF growing corn and
Improved methods OF culture on the
part or those who stubbornly refused
to adopt this plan In the face Of all
the facts have together resulted in
making a. monster corn crop. data as
to which will be forthcoming In due
time. But what does II all amount to
when guests at restaurants and hotels
are forced to eat alum. according to
ON old and evil custom? From In
diana to the Rocky Mou a, aims is one
vast cornfield. yet alum is consumed
In enormous quantities and bread not
eaten at all. except wheat bread-no
corn bread. no hopiny.
There is this much excuse for the
people of the northwest the corn is
80 poor In nitrogen (only about one
per cent? that 1t is scarcely fit for
food. even for stock and cattle. There
Is then real reason why the peop,s
do not eat 1t. They leave mos. Of
the rest to the baker and alum Is
cheaper than -four therefore, he feeds
II 70 them freely. On the strength Of
this fact the hospitals do rushing
business and abdominal surgery is
kept active.
The case Is different here alto
gether. Southern corn contains
about four (D per cent Of nitrogen.
or four times that Of northern corn.
Hence southern corn contains a large
amount Of food matter Of the best
quality-as much In fact as ordinary
wheat. although 1t falls below the
finest wheat, in which the percentage
runs from eight to nine per cent in nj
trogen.
Any horseman knows that a horse
will do more work when fed on south
ern coru than he will when fed on
northern or western corn, and the
reason In the one given namely, that
scuthen corn IL far richer In nitrogen.
or course when Southern corn Is har-
vested In the Northern way IL loses a
great deal OF It's food value. 1t should
be allowed to ripen on the stalk.
When cut down and stacked there Is
bound to be loss In yield an6 in
quality.
The newspapers. daily and weekly
Of South. Carolina and the South
could render notable service to hu-
manity and to the cause Of good liv-
Ing by joining . crusade against, the
feeding Of alum and in favor Of corn
bread. In Columbia the most promi-
nent caterer has been forced by the
pressure Of public opinion t. have
corn bread always on the menu. day
and night
A general demand all along the
line, would force similar actinn here
and elsewhere. The amount saved to
the state In the course of q year
wvu'd be neOrmous AMI the good
done beyond calculation. In our own
country we ought to be allowed to eat
the bread OF our fathers. To wheat
bread there can be little objection
none at all when 1t Is properly cook
ed. but on alum there should be unre-
lenting war. The best way to force
out alum IL TO insist on having corn
bread.
The ordinary bakers bread Is ocm-
posed principally Of alum with pos
sibly q little 'admixturc Of -four to
drown the evil taste. There is no
finer food product in the world than
southern corn. and even the boiling
Of the mills has scarcely been able to
destroy all Of It's flavor anu nutritive
qualities.
There could be no better lime to
start such a crusade than when the
State Is engaged in harvesting this
mammoth crop OF corn. Enthusiasm is
high any way and this will serve to
fan IT into flame. Every piece Of corn
bread consumed Is that much direct
help to the farmer AMI that much
help t. the human race al well.--
James Henry Rice. Jr.. in Spartsn-
burg Journal.