Lower coast gazette., 1909-04-24
Indian Corn.

Secretary Wilson in his Report for 1905, as Secretary Of Agri-
culture, actresses quite an apostrophe to Indian corn, the priceless
gift Of the Indian, who freely gave to the white man mformaton
which led to the production of 2643 millions of bushels during the
year of 1908. The value of the crop almost surpasses belief and
reached 1915 millions of dollars. 1t is produced out of the soil in
four months of rain and sunshine and is enough in value to cancel
the interest bearing debt Of the United States to pay for the Pana-
ma Canal and for fifty battestips. The corn crop of 1905. owing to
the high prices then prevailing, was worth nearly as much as the
great crops of cotton, hay and wheat combined.
The conservatism of Europe is evidenced in the fact that al
though we have now had a full acquaintance with Indian corn for
some three hundred years, the Europeans are still reluctant about
using it as human food, the idea prevailing that it is a good hVe-
stock food, but not proper for humanity. Some twenty years ago
the American government sent a commission to Europe for the
purpose of familarizing the people there with the utilization OF
Indian corn as a foodstuff. Whether the work of that commission
prospered or not, the facts Of the situation now show that corn is
becoming even better appreciated than ever in this country and IS
also gradually gaining ground in Europe and there probably from
purely economic causes. The great good staples, wheat, rye, In
dian corn and rice seem to be the foundation Of all civilization, and
yet no matter how poor any people may be, they are reluctant to
change from the food Of their f%orefathe1s over to any new food
stuff, but hunger may compel such change and we learn now that
lin the streets of Naples boiled corn on the cob is sold and in We
nice corn is sold in slices from large cakes that look as though the
corn had been boiled on the cob and then cut off and compressed
Into cakes.
We understand that in New Orleans there is a great demand
for the common fresh water fish known as Buffalo, or Gaspargo,
the fish being brought into New Orleans by boat loads from Lake
Maurepas and taken as a favorite cheap food among the negroes
along the river front. Just so everywhere good foodstufs finally
assert themselves and Europe is only now coming to a proper ap-
probation of Indian corn and when it may perhaps be too late to
secure for itself an adequate supply in this country, where all such
crops seem to be advancing yearly, In Louisiana corn is grown so
easily that it raly gets that attention and consideration that it de-
serves. The final result is that we are led to look upon the crop
with comparative Indifference, the yields per acre being generally
low. If the same attention were given to it here that we give to
other crops, our yields would equal and possibly surpass those Of
the western states, whose soils do not as a rule compare in quality
with the new aluvial soils Of Louisiana. Corn is such a quick
growing crop. that if planted in March it can be harvested by the
first of August and make way for all autumnal work. Everyone
interested. in Louisiana agriculture should advocate the planting of
corn wherever it can be done without deranging the regular sys-
tenn Of culture. Corn is worth about a cent and a half a pound in
New Orlerns and promises to be worth that when sugar sells at
but little over 3 cents per pound and rough rice at cents per
pound. Let us raise more corn, as the situation now stands, Corn
is King.