Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1925-01-29
H. {. ESW|NE
LECTURES ON CORN
Addresses The Scientific e.
Historical Society.
Real Treat Is Enjoyed

Many Interesting Facts Are Brought
Out BY Assistant Professor OF Ag-
ricuIture OF Ohio State University.
Discussion Is Filled With Interest.
The Morgan County Scientific and
Historical Society met on Thursday
evening, Jan. %, at their old quar-
ters in the Morris building, with the
president, Supt. Geo. Carr, in the
chair.
Prof. H. e. Eswine, assistant pro-
fessor of agriculture at the Ohio
State University, was the speaker.
His subject was Corn We
heard it said well, I'd like to go to
the scientific tonight, if it was any
thing but corn, but don't want to
hear that Had they gone and
heard Prof. Eswine speak of the diff
ference between seeing and ''look-
ing" they would certainly have
come to the conclusion that they
had never really seen corn.
The speaker dwelt on the fact
that very few people realize what
corn means to us as people. He
stated that the farmers of this coun-
try raise three billion bushels OF
corn a year, and he then spoke Of
the difficulty experienced by the av-
erage person who would attempt to
visualize one billion. illustrating this
by showing that it would take a
good cashier more than 100 years to
count a billion dollars.
He stated that no other country
grows any other crop in such large
quantities. There are three crops
that mean more to the world; these
are potatoes, wheat and rice.
The corn plant in itself is a most
interesting study. The original plant
is. supposed to have been teosinte, a
coarse grass, growing in Mexico and
Central America. 1t was a plant
with a straight central stem, with
jointed branches. The relation of
corn to this plant is now generally
accepted, Burbank having spent
about Is years experimenting in or
der to- prove this relationship.
The Indians were the first corn
growers and at one time each corn
grain had husk. Prof. Eswine gave
detailed account of the slow
change through many years, to bring
the corn plant to this stage Of its
development, and. then told how,
through selection, the plant has
reached it's present state. 1t was
stated that field corn is an older type
than sweet corn.
In answer to question by Mr..
Charles Pyle. Prof. Eswine explained
the process by which new varieties
of corn are produced. Mr.. Arrick
asked about the effect of having
more than one ear on stalk. Prof.
Eswine replied that the yield is not
so good.
A very interesting question was
asked by Rev Gillilan: How many
times will grain of corn multiply
itself?" The answer was that the
increase is very remarkable and that
no other plant multiplies itself to
such degree, as one grain has been
known to produce as many as 1900
grains; hence the Importance OF
each grain of seed corn.
Mr.. Taylor asked about the COM
parative value of white and yellow
corn. The reply was that yellow
corn fed to white chickens depreci-
ates their value for exhibition pur-
poses, as 1t gives a slight tinge to
the white feathers, In the south the
white corn meal is preferred, al
though of late it has been found
that the yellow contains more vita
mines and is therefore more valu-
able as food
Mrs. Dawson asked about the
value of red corn, and it was stated
the red color is only on the outside,
but might have slight coloring
power
The speaker explained the differ
ence between flint and dent corn. In
grain of corn are both hard and
soft starch. The one kind has the
soft starch on the top of the grain,
and in drying the top shrinks pro-
ducing a crease or dent, which gives
the corn it's name. The flint variety
has the hard starch on the top of
the grains, therefore it's name. Kaf-
fir corn is type grown in the west.
The speaker then passed on to the
consideration of corn products.
Most people would be amazed to
know that there are at least $50 diff
ferent products. The speaker first
enumerated starch, saying that
while in Europe the potato is largely
used in producing starch, in this
country corn is entirely the source
of commercial starch. Toast the
starch and we have dextrine used in
adhesives; starch changed
to sugar gives glucose, the whole
some basis of many syrups, such as
Karo. Glucose used in candy pre-
vents the sugar from crystallizing.
In the center of the corn grain is
the germ from which oil is made
giving us Mazola and salad dress
ings. Mixed with rubber we have
lineoleum. There remain the pro-
tein and the gluten. Oil cake is al
so product.
Is the corn cob wasted? No in
deed. Did you ever take notice OF
the corn cob pipe? Are the cob
shavings wasted? Ask the up
holsterer. Last but not least, did
you ever taste corn cob syrup? How
many ever thought of any use for
earn Silk9 The druppiat scan tell