USES OF MAIZE 265 



grinding. They are in every way, however, healthful and 

 desirable articles of diet. 



Hominy is prepared in the household by soaking the grains 

 in the lye of wood ashes (KHO), which removes the hull, and 

 also by hominy mills, which remove the hulls by a milling 

 process. In the milling process of producing hominy the germ 

 is more or less completely removed, thus adding to the keeping 

 quality of the hominy, but somewhat lowering the per cent of 

 protein. The maize grain is also used in some of the so-called 

 breakfast foods other than hominy. These are low in protein and 

 fat and high in carbohydrates, as compared with maize grain or 

 meal, or with breakfast foods made from wheat or oats. 



The ears of sweet maize are boiled when the grain is in the 

 milk and eaten out of hand, forming a well-known and palatable 

 article of diet. Experiments have been successfully conducted 

 at the New Hampshire Station ^ in raising sweet maize under 

 glass in order to furnish roasting ears out of season. " Canned 

 corn," made by removing the grains of sweet maize when at 

 this stage, placing in quart cans and subjecting to high heat, 

 both before and after sealing, is the basis of an extensive 

 industry. The mature sweet maize is also eaten parched. 



356. Manufactured Products. — Glucose, starch, alcohol, 

 whisky and malt liquors are also made from the grain of maize. 

 Two forms of "corn starch" are made, one used in laundry 

 work to stiffen cotton cloth and the other used for human con- 

 sumption. The pith of the stems is used in the manufacture of 

 explosives and for packing the sides of war vessels because of 

 its property upon being pierced of quickly swelling and prevent- 

 ing ingress of water. The stems are used in the manufacture 

 of paper and the husks for mats and mattresses. 



357. By-Products. — The use of the maize plant in the man- 

 ufacture of the above products has resulted in a large number 



1 N. H. Bui. 60 (1899). 



