74 



The World's Commercial Products 



In the third process 

 the starch is obtained 

 without any fermenta- 

 tion taking place, the 

 grains being merely 

 soaked and bruised, 

 and afterwards washed 

 repeatedly. 



MAIZE STARCH 



Maize Starch, fami- 

 liarly known as " corn 

 flour," exists in the grain 

 to the extent of about 

 fifty-four per cent., and 

 is obtained by various 

 methods, which are,. 

 however, very similar. 

 The washed grains are 

 passed between rollers 

 or millstones and 

 ground to a paste, which 

 is washed in perforated 

 cylinders resembling 

 those employed in the 

 manufacture of potato 

 starch. The starch 

 milk is allowed to run 

 upon inclined tables, 

 where the grains are 

 deposited, while the 

 nitrogenous matters- 

 pass on and are col- 

 lected in tanks to be 

 subsequently used as 

 cattle food. 



Maize starch is 

 largely used as a paste 

 for finishing textiles r 

 especially in America. 



The finer qualities are employed as a substitute for arrowroot, while the inferior grades serve 



for laundry purposes. 



ARROWROOT 



Arrowroot, or West Indian arrowroot, as it is sometimes termed, to distinguish it from 

 other kinds, is obtained from the underground stems of Maranta arundinacea, closely allied 

 to the Ginger and Turmeric plants. The plant occurs in many parts of the tropics, but Bermuda 

 and St. Vincent are the chief places of arrowroot manufacture. The underground stems are 

 often from one to two feet in length, rather less than an inch across, jointed, and almost pure 

 white in colour. The thin skin which covers them contains bitter principles which would injure 



Fhoto by Sir Harry Johnston, K.C.M.G., K.C.B. 



BORASSUS PALMS 



By permission of Messrs. Hutchinson 



