Vol. XVII. No, 435. 



THE AGKICULTUKAL NEWS. 



n: 



POP CORN. 



By West Indians the term 'pop corn' is always applied 

 to the grains of Guinea corn when subjected to the intiuence 

 of dry heat, causing them to turn inside out. In the United 

 States, however, and in Australia, the term is usually applied 

 to a variety of maize which is employed in the same way as 

 West Indians employ Guinea corn. It does not seem that 

 this variety of maize has ever been cultivated in the se 

 islands. It might be worth while experimenting with, 

 especially in small plots or home girdens. The following 

 description, taken from the Agricultural Gazette of A^eiti 

 South Wales, August 1918, is of interest: — 



Pop corn belongs to a group or rice of maize known 

 botanically as Zea mays, var. everta, on account of its tendency 

 to evert or turn inside out on the application of heat. It is 

 a delicacy which is greatly enjoyed by children, and deserves 

 some encouragement because of its food value and its whole- 

 someness compared with many other sweets which are craved 

 for at times by young people. It is also of interest on 

 account of the amusement it affords in the actual operation 

 of popping 



Pop corn differs from other maize in its smaller 

 and more slender growth of stalks, smaller cobs, and smaller 

 grain. The ears of pop corn are seldom longer than S or 

 9 inches at their best, and the size of the grain is such that it 

 takes from 2,000 to about 3,000 to weigh a pound. 



The grain itself is more like flint than dent maize in 

 composition, but has even less soft starch than those common 

 varieties. It consists entirely of germ and horny starch. 

 The best pop corn should show but little trace of soft or 

 white starch, at least on the exterior of the grain. 



The cause of popping is not thoroughly understood, but 

 it is supposed to be due to the expansion of air and moisture 

 inside the grain. 



It is essential that pop corn should fully mature in 

 order to pop properly, as when the filling of the grain is 

 checked by frost or cold weather it gives an unsatisfactory 

 sample for popping. 



Owing to the smaller growth of pop corn, it may be 

 sown closer than field varieties, the distance between the 

 rows recommended being 3 to 4 feet. 



The grain should not be sown too deeply, especially 

 ■with an early planting. From 1 to 2 inches is sufficient 

 under most circumstances. The surface should be harrowed 

 lightly while the plants are small, and afterwards cultivated 

 to a shallow depth to keep down weeds, and to keep the 

 soil loose. 



Pop corn should be allowed to mature thoroughly on 

 the stalk. It should not, under any circumstances, be 

 harvested immature. 



Many home garden plots of pop corn are grown for the 

 purpose of amu.sing children with the operation of pooping, 

 and at the same time providing a nutritious sweetmeat. The 

 soil should be well enriched with stable manure some months 

 in advance of sowing, and, owing to the manner in which 

 the plants are pollinated, at least three rows should be grown 

 in order to get a good setting of grain. 



In order to get the corn to pop properly it must be 

 thoroughly air-dry, i.e, containing about 12 to 14 per cent, 

 of moisture. If too moist, a lot of charred and swollen corn 

 will be the result. It may sometimes happen that the corn 

 hae become too dry for successful popping. This is easily 

 reme<iied by either sprinkling with or soaking in water, and 

 subsefjueiit air drying. 



The source of heat shou'd be fairly strong. A glowing 

 bed of coals gives the best results with the open'^wire poppers, 

 where a flame fire is objectionable on account of the ease with 

 which the corn may be scorched. Where a pan popper is 

 used a flame fire is all right. A large amount of corn should 

 not be put into the popper at once, but just enough to cover 

 the bottom of the popper, and the popper should be kept 

 constantly agitated to prevent burning or scorching of the 

 grain Popping should lake place in about a minute and 

 a half with the right degree of heat .^nd good corn. The 

 p-^'pped product has from ten to twenty times the bulk of the 

 original corn. 



Popped corn is chieliy used as a form of confectionery. 

 The application of heat in popping has the effect of breaking 

 down the fibre in the grain to a large extent, thus rendering 

 it more digestible. 



The addition of a little salt after popping is usually 

 re.juired, and most of the popped com sold by confectioners 

 also has a coating of melted butter and .-:ugar to improve its 

 flavour. Popped corn also makes a good breakfast food 

 when used with milk and sugar. In nearly all cases there 

 will be a small percentage o'f parched unpopped grains left 

 after popping. These can be well used as a breakfast food 

 by boiling and serving with milk or cream and sugar 



Popped corn loses its crispness readily after popping, on 

 account of absorption of moisture from the air. With the 

 loss of the crispness the flavour also largely disappears; so 

 that popped corn should not be kept for any time to enjoy 

 it at its best. For this reason p ^pped corn is usually sold 

 in wa.ved or oiled paper bags to prevent it absorbing moisture. 



AGRICULTURE IN BARBADOS- 



Although December has not brought as much rain as wu 

 should have liked, still prospects are better than at this date 

 last year. Both October and November last year were 

 unfavourable, and, being followed by a dry December, crops 

 of all kinds suffered materially. This year the moisture 

 accummulated in the soil during October and November has 

 enabled it to hold its own during the recent absence of fre- 

 •juent showers. 



1,'nlike last year, weather conditions have given no 

 cause for hesitation in planting. Planters have found the 

 land sufficiently moist for their purpose. The fields planted 

 in (Jctober and early in November are making a good show- 

 ing. 



It would now appear that about half the crops of the 

 island will be planted in the B. 6450, the remaining half 

 being planted in the B.H. 10 (12) and the Ba. 6032— with 

 small areas of other seedlings such as the B. 6308, the 

 Ba 11,569, the B. .3922, and a negligible area in the B.376. 



The local Agricultural Show was held on the 4th instant 

 at Drax Hall Plantation, .St. George. The show was quite 

 as successful as that held last year at Lancaster. The exhibits 

 reached a good standard, and they were well grown and 

 properly selected. There is no doubt that these local shows 

 have stimulated peasants, and have taught them what is 

 meant by marketable produce. The exhibits from elemen- 

 tary school gardens also reached a good mark, and for the 

 third time prizes were ottered to boys of elementary schools 

 for cane-hole digging, etc. This competition was a keen one, 

 and some very good work was done. (The Barbados Agx-i- 

 cultural Repor!--r, December 14. 1918.) 



