Oxford Democrat., 1917-07-17
AMONG THE FARMERS.
"sPrzD TIE PLow."

Correspondence on practical agricultural topie
ls soncited. Address all Communications Il
tended TOR this department to HINRY .
AAnAoND, Agricultural Editor Oxford DEN
ocrst. Paris. Ne.
The Story of Corn as Human Food
(Robert ii. Moulton, Illinois, In Hosrd's Dairv
man,
The farmers Of the United States ar,
on the firing line Of the great war to
day. Their plows are worth many can
= non. The seed they SOW is worth regi
ments of men. For no army can fieh,
without food and no nation can sustain
war without food. The allies, on,
allies, are beginning to feel the pinch OF
want, not in the same degree as the
people of Central Europe but that will
come unless America puts forth all hsr
energies to supply them.
But it is most essential to feed America
first; even now a large class of our people
are feeling the weight Of food shortage.
Food riots and partial famine are threat
ened by crop failure in the United
States. So Ii Is up to the American
farmer to do his best.
Many conditions have contributed to
bring about the situation In which there
are hunger riots in land so rich natural
ly. Much of the shortage of food Is pri-
marily due to costly habits of eating
which for many decades have been hold
ing all classes In their clutch. The time
is at hand when the nation will appre-
ciste the many valuable articles which,
before Columbus came, the Indians were
developing. There are many food prod
ucts native to the western world which
have been unsccountsbly neglected.
The most striking example of unused
value in foods is the corn crop. Every
other nation in the world is eager for
American corn, and yet this cheap and
highly nutritious cereal is neglected in
the land which is its main source of sup
ply. What wheat was to the armies of
old, corn could be to the forces of the
United States.
The legions of Hannibal and OF Caesar
| subsisted on the whole wheat; Gauls
conqueror in his "Commentaries' tells
how soldiers ohewed frumentum as they
marched. To this day Roman and Punic
skeletons are unearthed on the old
battlefields of Europe and the skulls are
firm and hard because of the valuable
salts and bone building constituents
which came from the wheaton diet of
the ancient soldiery.
Corn is no less valuable as q builder OF
brave and sturdy men. The favorite ra-
ton of Davy Crockett was parched and
ground corn which he carried with him
into the depths of the forest. 1t was q
saying of his that II man had q gun
and ten pounds of psrched corn he could
easily live year. His diet was a trick
learned from the Indians, who were able
to withstand the fatigues of warpath and
hunting trail because of this simple and
quickly assimilated food. The corn,
rich in starch and protein, parched until
it was made quickly digestible, was mix
ed with water. A cupful of this most
simple of all the elixirs had the effect OF
almost instantly strengthening the tired
body.
The government of the United States
urges upon the people of this country
that at least one-fourth part OF corn meal
DE added to wheaton -four in the making
of bread. As matter Of fact, corn has
been used in the form of fine flour for
centuries BY various tribes of Indians,
and when we'll enough ground 1t is fully
as palatable as the wheaton product.
The coarse corn meal bears little re-
semblance to the impslpable powder OF
corn which the primitive races OF this con-
tinent made by grinding between stones,
and that by hand. The outer covering
of the kernels 10 scraped of after soak
ing them in hot water to which a little
I've has been added. This flour is mixed
with water at times, and the white
LIQUID resulting Is quaffed with much
relish. 1t is an emergency ration OF the
highest food value.
Whittier has sung the praises OF the
dish of samp and milk by homespun
beauty poured. The hominy block IN
the time of Daniel Boone was an adJunct
of the cabin of every settler. 1t stood
at the edge of clearings as marx Oh the
diet to which those steel thewed pio-
neers looked for strength. >,
The iohnnycake and the corn pone OF
the hardy mountaineers OF the Souto
bear abundant testimony to the oooy
building qualities of the staple irom
which they are derived.
Corn enters into the composition OF
patent breakfast foods, but long oefore
the days of cartons and bright labels tne
Indians wore making corn dishes wnion
for delicacy of flavor and dietetic vaiue
mt the products of this modern day 20
shame. They also constructed napJacKs
which literally melted in the mouth.
The tortillas of the Central American
countries are form OF corn WHICH aP
neal to travellers. The torti'la Is mace
of corn -four and is first cousin 1I ING
pancake. Before it cools 1t is roiied up
and surprise party put iDsioe IL, usus
| ly little high seasoned meat. ~
then kept for future use. a IaVol,'o
breakfast in the Central American coun
tries consists of two tortillss wnicn nave
been heated before the fire. Tney anu =
CUP of coffee are enough to satisiy e'en
the hungriest Indian. A., .,
Totopztil tastes much better than II
sounds. 1t is very thin, light waler
made by the Indians In the southern
mart of this continent. The corn from
which the cake is made is first siigntly
narched and then pounded to nne
dnst The cakes are flakelike and not
mneh thicker than wrapping paper.
Tbev are carried in small bags thrown
| over tbe shoulders of the hardy Indians.
Totopztil is dry and crumbly and yet
dslicions in flavor az well as sustaining
| in its Qualities. The biscuits and crack
| ara of civilization are tame in flavor Is
| compare with this aboriginal proven
der. .u. h..,ous
| of ths Middle West, under the lee OF tne
| mssas of Arizona, and even In regions ..
| the Northwest where, until recen'iy'
had hard time to escape the frost;
One of the greatest gifts whion tne ~.
dams bestowed upon the world was tn,s
sraip of gold. The general impression
is that the redskin was merely nun.o.'
when in reality he was walking e1peli.
mental agricultural station. 1t was one
Of the fayorite outdoor pastimes OF tne
Indians of the Southwest to laugh at tne
sovsrnment agricultural experts VINO
have from time to time been sent ou'
shsre 10 teach them how to grow corn.
The Indians profess great interest,
and. not to appear unappreoiative, tnsy
nssa 10 plant corn patches aiongsioe
.hoss | Of the federal apostles OF modern
farming. The government corn came oP
bright and green and soon witnereo
o%rsv % while that of the Indian: fiourlsn-
"a Iiha veepinp Willows BY the rNocs