The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-09-28

owing to continued dampness, all or
nearly all, of the northern grown corn
sold IN this State was mOuldy as to be
unfit for use. Probably the present
plague Of pellagra may date from
germs taken in the system at that
time. especially as it seems that the
disease develops slowly. The fact that
people have been affected with pella-
gra who never ate corn bread proves
nothing. Much Of our flour is adul-
terated with finely ground corn meal.
Moreover, mouldy wheat and other
grains may be under certain condi-
ions infected with pellagra germ.
though less frequently than corn,
which is often harvested in a way to
promote mould. It is not improbable
that rats may convey pellagra germs
from corr to corn.
I will not dignity stuff prepared
from such grain by bestoWing upon it
the name Of the true staff of Southern
life. By corn bread, [ mean the home
grown, home ground, home baked
corn bread that nurtured our giants.
our Henrys, our Washingtons, our JEFF
tersons, our Lees, our Nances, and that
made history from Charlotte Town to
AppomattOx. Aye. from Roanoke
Island and to Cardenas Bay.
AS the art Of making this sine qua
non of the true Southern table seems
II serious udI1SCI C1 ldi1lllS 1iltO ct very
nOcuOuS desuetude indeed, [ will give
the only infallible receipt. While many
are SO unfortunately situated that
they cannot follow it in full, the near
er it car be followed, the nearer will
be the product to the genuine article.
First, choose a piece of high land
no low ground corn for bread. Select
your seed carefully of the true flint
kind, no gourd seed variety here.
F'hoo whom tho nnY1ar Loot iS i11ct tho
size Of a squirrels ear, plant in broad
rows and Well apart in the row. Make
you a Scare-crOW so that crows may
see that corn is planted there and
cone and thin it out about right. Good
bread corn must needs have plenty
Of ROOM, and this is the surest way
to have it we'll thinned
Cultivate we'll, laying it by with a
good hill to support the stalk and keep
the ear off the ground. Let it hang on
the stalk till after ice has formed half
an inch thick. Fill your jug the day
that you pull you corn. The next
morning will find it shucked. Crib it
in a crib made of skinned pine poles,
cracks unchinked. Bride the boys into
a truce with the cats. So much for
one important process, the making.
Now comes the weighty part Of the
business, the grinding. Select each
ear of your bread corr as carefully as
You do a friend. more carefully than
YOU did your wife-or say as prayer
fully as you did your neck-tie in the
ca1low long ago days. From the select
ed ears, shell off the butts and little
ends, every imperfect grain and give
ii to the chickens. In Smelling use a
burnt cob, no Smelling rock. Thence
comes grit and profanity. Then fetch
out your nag, get atop the bag n
make for the mill-all in your every
day clothes of course Your true mill
er is no dude, nor can he abide one.
Go to q mill as deep in the woods
as possible, stunning our town, or
near town mill. Be kind to the miller.
If possible, be on mighty good terms
with him. Tell him how you love good
corn bread, and how mean the bread
made from the mill lower down on
the creek. Dive casually down into
YOUR ticker pocket, hand him some of
YOUR best corn and look the other way.
| Your simon pure miller is always dry.
His is a dry calling. Let him talk to
you. Don talk oVer-much to him.
Your professional miller is Geaf, for
he has passed his days amid the whir
and rattle of his mill.
Don't hurry him. Tell him to send you
word by some one passing when to
come for your meal. II he prefers to
| grind it tha day, go UP to the head OF
the pond fishing, while he is taking
toll. AS a watched pot never bOils.
| so does watched grist never make good
meal though there may be more Of it.
Thus notified, he will see that our
corn goes into his mill when it is
clean and sweet for grinding many
turns Of sound corn. and maybe that
| the stones are rested and cooled a
bit. :,
This crisis safely passed, your meal
r,,m filed. turn it over to an old time
| southern darkey cook, if you can find
one. Provide her with an old time lid
oven-if there is a crack in the lid
| all the better-and plenty Of dry oak
bark. Then prepare to feast on the
true thorum vitae. bread OF life. Bless
"a indeed is he who has it's true con-
co~ritants. its fellows, to-Wit home
cured side meat fattened on sweet po-
tatoes and hardened on corn and that