Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-08-22
WHY CORN is KING OF GRAIN.
Some Uses to Which the Worlds Crop
Is Put.

Is Put.
Corn is the king of the grains in the
number Of bushels produced and in all
around usefulness, declares Farm
Machinery. 1t is the foundation for
the livestock industry in the United
States, especially for hog raising.
Corn is used directly for food by
thousands of people, in the form OF
corn beef, hominy and many excel
lent dishes. Indirectly it is the food
of the entire meat eating world, but
aside from the food uses there are
many others that many people have
never heard about.
People who like to talk in millions
and billions should revel in discussing
the corn crop Corn was the gift Of the
new world to the old. 1t probably orig
mated in Mexico. Now it is grown
all over the world and the average
annual crop is four billion bushels.
The United States furnishes two
thirds Of the total.
Every year some new use is found
for corn. In the old days there were
only two ways to dispose of ito feed
il to cattle and in the shape Of corn
meal to some people. The meal had to
be for local consumption, because when
made, as it was then, from the whole
kernel, it soon became rancid.
The vulcanized oil is used extensive
ly in surfacing linoleum and oilcloth,
and is applied to a number of other
purposes. After the oil is extracted
there is left a valuable residium
known as corn oil cake, which is sold
here and abroad and is used in the fat
tening of sheep and other animals.
Nearly fifty million pounds Of this
material are annually shipped to Great
Britain and Germany and there used by
farmers. who find it cheaper than ma
terials of a similar nature which they
can grow at home.
A corn product which is coming into
extensive use is glucose, made from
starch, water and sulphuric acid. Con-
fectioners use large quantities of glu-
cose, which is a colorless, sweetish
syrup useful as food when properly
taken. Nearly two hundred million
pounds of glucose are sent out Of this
country each year to all parts of the
world.
From corn starch also comes dex-
| trim of several kinds, used extensive
ly in the making of glue, paste and
mucilage. When one licks postage
stamp one gets a taste of dextrin.
favored often with some harmless
preServative.
One other use of corn may be men
toned as in all probability having an
| important bearing on future industrial
pursuits. Denatured alcohol is already
extensively manufactured from corn,
both at home and abroad. Despite the
advancing price of the grain it is still
one of the most economical sources
of a product which under different le-
gal restrictions from those now in eX-
| istence may become important as a
source of heat, light and power in
homes, especially farm homes.
Experiments conducted here and
abroad demonstrated that bulkheads
constructed of corn stalks were nearly
imprevious to water when shot pass
ed through them. Some of the largest
ships are now protected with belt
of corn pith cellulose made largely
from corn grown in the Ohio valley.
The same material, or modified forms
of it is used in the manufacture of
high explosive, such as guncotton and
smOkeless powder.
PyroXylin, varnish, another material
made from cellulose, is very useful
product manufactured in connection
with the other products just mention
| ed.
| From time to time the attention of
| The country has been directed toward
| the vanishing supply of wood for the
| manufacture of paper or paper pulp.
Various attempts have been made to
manufacture paper from other mate
rals and a good many years ago sam
pies of fine paper were produced from
cornstalks. The processes as followed,
were, however, not economical, so that
the work was abandoned. More recent
lily new light has been thrown on the
subject through improved methods of
processes.
| Like the grain the stalks contain a
number of products which can be
separated under proper chemical, ply
steal and mechanical processes. 1t
has been demonstrated that a form
of low grade molaSses can be taken
| from cornstalks without in an" way
detracting from their value for the
manufacture of paper
1
attention to another part of the corn
plant which is considered a more or
less useless thing by the farmer, the
cob.
| With the increased knowledge which
| experimental work has developed at
the agricultural colleges and stations
the usefulness Of this material as a
stock food when ground In connec-
ton with grain has been shown.
Large quantities therefore of ground
grain and cobs are now used for feed
ing. The cob is also ground and mix
ed with various highly concentrated
feeds such as cotton seed meal and sold
for stock food. Large quantities OF
cobs furthermore are utilized in GER
tain parts of the Mississippi valley In
the manufacture of corn cob pipes.
a. WHITEHALL the stores closed on
the day my uncle died"
| TOmmy-"That's nothing All the