New-York tribune., 1917-05-03
In Praise of Maize
Con Greatest of American Cereals The Golden Hope of the "du'"
Bv John Waller Harrington

corn and pepper in a fascinating medley' III
tho Southern United States we have the won
derful corn pone and the wholesome Johnny
cake. while in the North we have those ny
birds Of baking known as mullins and oy
various other names which show their debt TO
corn. .
II is one of the signs Of an cfete age that
We have almost forgotten that mush IS gooo
10 cat Races Of brain and Drawn IKE inc
Irish. who have their corn porrdgc and tne
enduring and hard-working Italians, VINO de-
light in their polenta, are witnesses 70 the
value of this form Of nutriment. Fred musn
puts man at peace with his Fellows ana
makes him 100 per cent efficient for the pal
ancc Of perfect day. The estimable Penn.
svlvania Dutch, who composed that olend OF
pork and mush known as scrapple and llved 70
be so old that they never really died, pu'
faded. furnish another example OF the merits
Of the tasselled cereal.
The Enyiable Corn-Fcd
Corn has many hidden values and proper
ties which develop As its composition Is
studied. II is rich in starch and protelns
and especially in oils. Il has from 3 70 2
per cent of this vegetable fat. It's high ef-
fciency as fattening food for animals Is
due largely to the presence OF this oil. Tx
merits estimate that one bushel or corn VIII
make eleven pounds of pork. The term corn
fedv AZ applied TO we'll nourshed specimens
both Of cattle and of the human race IS no
misnomer and suggests the Johnsonian deh-
milton of oats. In some kinds OF corn tne
nercentage Of oil is so high that 1t IS proht-
ably extracted.
From corn also are made starch, glucose
whiskey and alcohol No cereal has so many
valuable by-products. The cob is used tor
fuel in many states, yet It contains cohslu'
cradle nutriment, and Is often ground WIN
tho kernels for stock feeding. The stalks are
filled with valuable constituents Wnere corn
is thickly sown and not cultivated. they are
used q, fodder The matured cultivated stalk,
are fed to COWS, especially when the tenderer
nortions are shredded or ground and mixed
with other elementary substances. From the
tender corn stalks a molasses has been made
for they contain much sugar.
The nth of the corn stalk is cellulose-
like substance which can be converted into
guncotton. It y also used as packing PACK
Of armor plates on bsttleships, where 1t serves
as a quick absorbent of water which would
rush in if the skin of the vessel IS broken
by a projectile.
The wise Indian, however. anticipated us
I'll in discovering the food wealth OF the
noble plant Corn should be cultivated more
than ever this year, for whether it nourlshes
man direct in its many appetizng forms or
indirectly when fed to the beasts OF the teld
II makes a generous return for all the labor
bestowed upon it, 1t car be raised IN the
back lot of the city, in the fertile river bot.
tens of New York in the wide expanses OF
the Middle West and in the South. 1t IS
cultivated in once arid wastes of the South
west. owing to the skill of Zuni and hopi
and irrigation. and now millions more OF
acres in the Northwest can be used for rais-
ing it, owing to the application of the ancient
secrets of the Mandan Indians.
As corn is essentially tropical IN nature
in spite of the changes which 1t has under
gone. it must not be put in the ground while
there is danger of frost. In the temperate
rortions of the United States it is planted
from about May 10 to June 1, the date beng
determir ed by local weather conditions. IL
therefore behooves farmers, both small ana
large. urban. suburban and rural, to consider
how much of the useful crop they Will plant
In days like these when the soldiers OF the
soil are called upon to raise food for this
nation and teeming millions abroad, there
can be invoked the aid of no more able or
denendable ally than Mighty Mondsmin