Atlanta semi-weekly journal., 1918-02-01
CORN THE WONDER woRKBR.

CORN THE WONDER WORKER
Corn is the special product of Amer
lea II was in use by the natives II
this country long Eefore Columbus dis
covery. when jacques Cartier sailed
up the st. Lawrence river and discov-
cred Hochelaga. now known as Mon
treal. he found the Indians skilled in
the cultivation of corn and using IL as
one OF their chief means of sustenance.
Corn is the greatest economic gift
which nature vouchsafed TO America.
II is a good thing once in while 20
pause and reflect over this matter that
we may the better come to a proper un-
derstanding and appreciation of the
power the corn crop eXerts upon our
nation as a whole and the possibiliti as
which its proper use opens up TO us n
the present war emergency. We are
asked as a patriotic duty and as an cs-
sential service TO our army and navy
and our associates across the water to
save wheat We are making some prog
ress in this direction, but not as much
as we should If we measure up to the
requirements set up for us by the food
administration. While we use wheat
chiefly as a bread crop. we have never
produced it in anything like the bounti-
ful amount that has characterized the
yields of corn.
years past has been approximately
have been vastly in excess of this. but
this year il reached the phenomenal to-
tai Of 3.I91. .0OO. 900 bushels, so that in
this year of. relative scarcity of wheat
and an unprecedented demand for the
same both at home and abroad, we have
produced nearly five times as much
corn as wheat Strange to say. in times
of emergency corn has been the chief
dietary of our people. 1t sustained the
south for several years when its mar
kets were circumscribed and it was
struggling against tremendous odds for
the maintenance Of the ideals in which
it believed. Even if we grew no wheat
IN America we could still live abun-
dantly and be supplied with a bread
substitute which takes high rank
throughout the world, and in fact, IS
probably the most satisfactory substi-
tute for wheat which is known and eX-
tensively cultivated. Corn is the chief
bulwark of our national defense, for no
matter how we might be beleaguered
by a foreign foe. with our ability 20
produce this crop in the amount indi-
Gated above, we could never be starved
into submission by any sort of league
of nations which might be formed
against US.
Corn is one of our chief commercial
assets Its production, distribution and
consumption occupies a good part of
the time of a considerable percentage Of
our people. 1t furnishes the food need
ed for the sustenance of a considerable
part of our population. and IL provides
the chief food out of which has been
developed the great American hog in
dustry. In passing, il may be proper to
say that without the development Of
this hog industry. our wealth, our indus
tries and our commerce would be much
behind the progress witness at the pres
ent time 1t is an old saying that the
hog is a mortgage litter" and but for
the superabundance of the corn crop
and the relative ease and cheapness with
which we have produced it. we could
not have maintained swine. and there
fore. not developed our idle lands or
paid the mortgage off successfully.
In view of the production Of this
miracle crop on the scale mentioned, one
would suppose that we consumed large
amount of il as human food. We raise
around thirty bushels of corn for each
inhabitant of the United States. and
vet il has been a comparative stranger
on our tables until recently. Occasion
ally. we have had corn cakes for a
change and sometimes we have had
corn mullins. 4 few people like corn
bread and eat il, but the mass of our
population use wheat TO the exclusion
of corn. and hence il is OF surprisig
TO find that we eat in this country only
about 3 ; per cent of this marvellous
crop. Our consumption of corn is at the
rate Of about 3.5 pounds out Of every
100 pounds produced. whereas. we eat
ordinarily from FIVE 10 six pounds of
n
other words, previous to the war. we
had practically ceased to be a wheat
exporting nation. and used our entire
crop Of wheat, though every EFFORT has
been made to induce people to substi-
tute corn therefor in order that larger
supplies of this important foodstuff may
be sent abroad where it is so badly