ZEA MAYS 



Trade 



THE INDIAN-CORN PLANT 



Flour. 



Indian-corn 

 Flour. 



America. 



Sugar. 



Bubber. 



Oil. 



Battleships. 



day meal. The preparation known in Bengal as satu is the parched grain 

 reduced to flour, much as in other parts of India satu is the flour of parched 

 grain and barley mixed. The straw of the ripe crop is not of great value 

 as fodder (except for elephants), but reaped in a green state it is very 

 valuable. Both in Europe and America, Indian-corn is largely employed 

 in the production of special articles of food that differ in some cases but 

 little from the ancient satu of India; these bear the names Hominy, 

 Maizena, Polenta, Indian-corn flour, etc. 



In the United States it is perhaps but natural that a fuller knowledge 

 and more complete utilisation of maize should have been attained than in 

 India. Next perhaps to cotton, maize is the most valuable crop grown in 

 the States, and the utilisation of its various by-products has given rise 

 to numerous flourishing industries. A full account of these is given by 

 Wiley (U.S. Dept. Agri. (Chemistry), Bull, 1898, No. 50). The grain is 

 starch or starch largely employed in the manufacture of STARCH and STARCH SUGAR or 

 glucose, which in the United States is extensively employed in the manu- 

 facture of whisky and alcohol (Hanausek, Micro. Tech. Prod. (Winton 

 and Barber, transl.), 1907, 40-1). A sugar is also prepared from the juice 

 of the stems (D.E.P., vi., pt. iv., 332). Recently the waste material from 

 the manufacture of glucose has been utilised in the production of a RUBBER 

 said to have both the resiliency and wearing power of genuine Para rubber. 

 From the germ of the seed is obtained by expression a valuable OIL, used 

 for lighting, lubrication, soap-making, and as a salad oil. Among minor 

 uses it may be mentioned that the pith of the stalk " has been used with 

 the greatest success in the construction of battleships in the American 

 Navy, the compressed blocks being placed between the two walls of 

 armour." The pith is also " easily nitrated into all the various forms of 

 material commonly made from cotton," and is said to have " many ad- 

 vantages over cotton for nitrating purposes, especially in the manufacture 

 of explosives of all kinds, by reason of its more perfect keeping qualities " 

 (Wiley, I.e. 27). Finally the stems, leaves and spathes are used in the 

 manufacture of PAPER which is spoken of as suitable for bank-notes, while 

 the residues from the manufacture of starch, glucose, whisky and alcohol 

 are utilised in the production of a special article of CATTLE-FOOD. 

 " Formerly it was the custom to employ these waste matters in the moist 

 state, but in most parts of the country this method has been superseded 

 by the method of drying the residues and selling them in the anhydrous 

 condition. In this state they are much more easily transported, the 

 objectionable odours which were the predominant characteristic of the moist 

 foods are removed, and the wholesomeness of the food is in every way 

 promoted " (Wiley, I.e., 25, 30). Similarly a special preparation of the 

 whole plant, except the root and ear, is discussed by Wiley under the name 

 of " Maize Stover." " As has before been intimated, this fodder is often 

 fed in the coarse state without any preparation whatever. In this con- 

 dition a very large percentage of it is wasted, the cattle eating little except 

 the blades and perhaps some of the smaller and tenderer parts of the stalk. 

 In the older parts of the country, it is now becoming quite general to have 

 the maize stover finely shredded before being fed. This not only increases 

 the quantity which becomes available for feed, but also leaves the manure 

 in a much better condition for spreading on the field." 



TRADE. Unfortunately no information of this nature can be fur- 

 nished. Jackson (Comm. Bot. 19th Century, 47-8) mentions that the 



1138 



Paper. 



Fodder. 



'Maize Stover.' 



Manure. 



Trade. 



