The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-03-26
FOODSTUFFS WE
MIGHT Use IN
Time OF STRIFE
American Museum Expert
I;auds Totopoztles and
Fortillas Eaten in South

Doctor H. J. Spinden, of the depart
ment Of anthropology, American Mu-
scum of Natural History, discussed
the subject of Foods Which Would
Be Available in This Country in Case
of War, in a talk to the members Of
the Museum. Despite the cry about
the high cost of living, said DR.. Spin
den, the United States would have no
real problem to face in the matter OF
food. He told of the nourishing value
Of various foodstuffs and about how
to prepare them for the table.
y "I war should GOMEZ he said, 1--WE
would have to take over foods which
are now neglected, and in doing this
we can well afford to pay attention to
the methods of preparing these foods
elsewhere in the New World. In fact,
the extremely strong economic posi-
ton Of the United States in the mat
ter of food would be largely due to
a more complete adaptation of the
foods of the American Indians. For it
was he who brought under domesti-
cation the three great staples: maize,
potatoes, and beans, and who develop
ed these plants by car eful breeding
till they grow under wide range CT
temperate and tropical conditions.
Maize or Indian corn, is our great
est agricultural crop, totalling over g.
600, 100000 bushels annually, or 80
bushels to every man, woman, and
child in the United states. It is a food
of great nourishing power altogether
largely used for fodder rather than
for human consumption. In Central
and South America maize is more
Nv
and in many regions the Fortilla, or
place of bread.
eve are slightly acquainted with
samp which is an old Indian dish.
The grain of maize are boiled with
lime or some other alkai which
causes the hard outer skin Ito peal
away. Undoubtedly some of the nour-
ishment is taken out of the maize
when treated in this way.
''By far the most palatable and
nourishfng preparation of maize is
practically unknown to the people of
the United States. This is the crisp
wafer made from the whole grain,
ground fine andl mixed in water with
a little salt and bake until brown. 1t
has pleasant popcorn flavor and ex-
cellent keeping qualities. When the
explorer wishes to go into the jungles
of Yucatan to hunt for ruined cities
he gets the women at the last settle
ment to bake him a supply of these
maize waters, called totopoztlf and
strings them on a string like disks of
crumpled paper. 1t is with sharp re-
gret that he sees the last crumb dis
appear and knows that he must fall
back on civilized crackers and water
biscuits.
while we raise almost 4OO,o0O,OOO
bushels of potatoes this is only about
one-sixteenth of the worlds crop. The
value of potatoes with their heavy
yield from small acreage has been
brought out clearly by Germany in the
present war.
1.-THE kidney and the lima bean are
both of New World origin as are sweet
potatoes, tomatoes, red peppers
squashes, and many other vegetables
and fruit. These, together with to-
bacco, the cotton of commerce, the
turkey that graces our holiday tables
many valuable medicines UGH as quiz
1ine, cocaine, to say nothing of gums,
Ives, ETC., are the gift to the world
of the American Indian.