The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-14
VARIOUS USES Of CORN.
Sixty Years Ago Considered
Good Only for Coarse Food.
FINE PRODUCT OF TO-DAY

! iNL iNODONJ vi lODh
In spanish-Americsn War Corn stalk
Piths Was Considered Best Pack.
Ing Between Plates Of Warshlps.
Values Of Pedlereed ersln--UtlIized
In Paper Making.
Sixty years ago. corn was consid-
cred suitable only for coarse food, for
the nourishment of animals, and the
manufacture OF whisky. Now, how
ever, multitudes of by-products find
their bases in this. our national grain.
Thirty years ago there was practically
no glucose manufactured in America;
but since Indian. corn came to the
front in this field we are enabled to
export a goodly quantity of this pro-
duct, while foreign glucose made from
rice, wheat, potato, and sago starches
cannot compete with that OF our own
manufacture.
But after q time chemists discov-
cred that this little germ contained
an oil which was worth more than the
other constituents-that in proportion
to its weight it was the most valuable
portion of the grain. 1t is now sub
jected to high pressure, and a rich
golden oil is extracted. When puri-
fed by distillation II is so sweet that
It may be acceptably used for salads.
1t should be sold for this purpose un-
its own name, though too often 1t is
not 1t will stand longer than most
vegetable oils without becoming ran
cid, and is now manufactured in the
United States In goodly quantities.
Last year we exported 3,222,S75 gal
Ions.
Corn oil, vulcanized, forms the basis
for a substitute for rubber, a substi-
tute which, being compounded with
sixty per cent of commercial rubber,
is used in the manufacture of rubber
boots, tires, blankets, lineoleum, and
other similar articles. A large per-
centage of the crude oil is used by
soapmakers, and the residue makes a
valuable food for cattle. OF the corn
year l4,0l4SS5 pounds.
In Spanish war times II was found
that the pith of the American corn
stalk made the best possible mater
ial for packing between the plates of
warships II not only presented a
barrier difficult of penetration by the
enemy's guns, but when an aperture
was actually made, the absorbent
qualities Of the pith came into full
play In the water to which II was now
exposed, and It would often swell suf-
ficiently to close the hole temporarily.
Another use for this pith has now
been found in the manufacture Of
high-grade paper. Abundant expert
inents have demonstrated its value for
this purpose, and large plant Will
soon be built for its manufacture.
Machinery will go into the field, cut
of the leaves, husk the ears, and bind
the stalks into bundles These will
then be sent to the depithing plant
where, after passing through several
processes, the pith will be rolled into
sheets and converted into psper, while
the outside fiber will be used for max
ing boxboard The cost OF manufac-
turing paper from corn-stalks will be
about twenty-five dollars a ton, which
is about one-thlrd the cost OF making
1t from rags or pulp.
The principle underlying the Gcien-
tiic method is the choosing of the
finest seed from a given race. This is
planted in an isolated location, and
the corn highly cultivated and care
fully harvested. Again the following
year the process is repeated, this time
by planting only the middle kernels Of
the most perfect ears selected from
the preceding crop.
Another wonderful record has been
attained in the production of the inn
proved seed. In order to test this
matter three hundred acres was
planted in Southern Illinois with
pedigreed seed The average yield OF
the other fields on the same farm was
about thirty bushels to the acre, while
the yield from the improved seed was
over sixty bushels, bringing the wise
farmer a net profit of four thousand
dollars from the choice of seeo alone,
the cultivation, condition of soil, etc,
being about the same In all the fields.