320 



American Institute— Farmers^ Chib — Indian Corn. 



Vol. X. 



mixed with the syrup while cold. The syr- 

 up should then be heated until just before it 

 would boil, when the curd rises, bringing 

 with it every impurity, even the coloring 

 matter, or a great portion of it, which it had 

 received from the smoke, kettles, buckets, or 

 reservoirs. The boiling should be checked, 

 and the scum carefully removed, when the 

 syrup should be slowly turned into a thick 

 woollen strainer, and left to run through at 

 its leisure. I would remark, that a great 

 proportion of the sugar that is made in our 

 country is not strained after cleansing. This 

 is an error. If examined in a wine glass 

 innumerable minute and almost impercepti 

 ble particles of curd will be seen floating in 

 it, which, if not removed, render it liable to 

 burn, and otherwise injure the taste and 

 color of it. 



" A flannel strainer does this much better 

 than a linen one. It is indeed indispensable. 

 As to the quantity of eggs necessary, one 

 pint to a pailftil of syrup is amply sufficient, 

 and half as much will do very well. I now 

 put my syrup into another kettle, which has 

 been made perfectly clean and bright, when 

 it is placed over a quick, solid fire, and soon 

 rises, but is kept from overflowing by being 

 ladled with a long dipper. When it is suffi- 

 ciently reduced, (I ascertain this by dropping 

 it from the point of a knife, while hot, into 

 an inch of cold water — if done, it will not 

 immediately mix with the water, but lies at 

 the bottom in a round flat drop,) it is taken 

 from the fire, and the foaming allowed to 

 subside. A thick white scum which is usable 

 is removed, and the sugar turned into a cask, 

 placed on an inclined platform, and left un- 

 disturbed for six weeks or longer, when it 

 should be tapped in the bottom and the mo- 

 lasses drawn off". It will drain perfectly dry 

 in a few days. 



" The sugar made in this way is very 

 nearly as white as lime sugar, and beauti- 

 fully grained. We have always sold ours at 

 the highest price of Muscovadoes ; and when 

 these sugars have sold at eighteen cents, 

 ours found a ready market at twenty. Two 

 hands will sugar off" 250 lbs. in a day. From 

 the scum taken off" in cleaning, I usually 

 make, by diluting and re-cleansing, one-sixth 

 as much as I had at first, and of an equal 

 quality." 



Maple sap makes a very palatable drink, 

 and those who have only a tree or two in 

 their vicinity, can, at the present time sup- 

 ply themselves very easily with it by tapping 

 and catching the sap. It is also made into 

 a very pleasant beer. It is excellent to feed 

 bees with, and is the first thing that off"ers 

 itself, of the spring product, for that pur- 

 pose. 



American Institute— Farmers' Club- 

 Indian Corn. 



May 5th, 1846. 



J. S. Skinner, in the Chair. 



Mr. Meigs — Remarked that the term 

 Maiz was, when spelt Mayse, used by some 

 of the northern people of Europe to denomi- 

 nate bread. Maiz was of the genus of 

 plants called Zea by the botsftiists. 



That the term Samp was Indian, and 

 meant corn coarsely broken boiled in milk. 

 The term Hommony was Indian, and meant 

 corn coarsely broken, boiled in water. And 

 that it was conceded that Indian corn was a 

 native of America, unknown to Europe or 

 Asia before the discovery of this continent. 



As to Indian corn, the qualities of it vary 

 much in the diff'erent sections of the United 

 States. The bread made from Southern corn 

 is dry and very palatable; that from Northern 

 corn is more moist and heavy. The quality of 

 bread made of any corn depends as much on 

 the modes of cooking it as upon the kind of 

 corn used. I think that the success of the 

 experiment of introducing the use of Indian 

 corn into England, will depend upon these 

 circumstances of quality and cooking. 



Col. Edward Clark — Our Northern corn 

 seems to contain more silicious matter in its 

 composition, than the Southern corn. It 

 requires much longer immersion in water 

 before it is sufficiently softened. Our flint 

 corn has its name from its hardness. Our 

 Southern corn is easily pounded or ground, 

 and is much more easily cooked. When 

 cooked with milk, or with a portion of lard 

 in it, it is excellent food. 



Judge Van Wyck — Indian corn helps the 

 soil on which it grows for succeeding crops 

 of grain. It is an excellent crop to precede 

 one of wheat. The soil for corn must be 

 rich — for it is a common saying — Corn is a 

 grass feeder ! — and the cultivation neces- 

 sary in a crop of it, has the eff'ect of leaving 

 the soil in fine condition for wheat or any 

 other grain. Corn is one of the strongest 

 and beat foods for man, and still more so for 

 many animals. It has more of the Jlesh- 

 mahing properties in it than any kind of 

 wheat. Oals and corn ground together form 

 a feed which fiittens animals more rapidly 

 than any feed given to them. I believe that 

 the Southern corn for some purposes is pre- 

 ferable to the Northern. It makes a lighter 

 bread and is more easy to cook. But the 

 Northern is a stronger food than the South- 

 ern, The stalks of corn fed to cows give the 

 best milk and more of it than any hay. This 

 effect is probably due to the large amount of 

 saccharine contained in the stalks — sugar is 

 made from their juice. The roots of corn 

 extend far, and great care ought to be taken 



