11 



The flour thus obtained differs only from that first described in hav- 

 ing a smaller content of fiber and mineral matters, due to the removal 

 of all or a portion of the bran by bolting. On account of the high per- 

 centage of oil in the germ of Indian corn, and by reason of its hygro- 

 scopic character, the flour thus prepared is apt to become rancid or 

 moldy. To prevent this change and also to secure a more palatable 

 grade of flour, the modern improved processes of grinding and pre- 

 paring Indian corn have been introduced. Following is the description 

 of the process o f preparing the flour from Indian corn as practiced by 

 one of the largest mills in this country. 



The Indian corn is passed through a machine called a degerminator, 

 which breaks the grain and loosens the germ, but does not separate it. 

 The separation is made by means of bolting cloths and; currents of air. 

 After the germ and hull are removed the corn is ground between iron 

 rolls properly corrugated. The meal is again submitted to the process 

 of bolting and purification by currents of air and the refined product 

 is the granular meal. The offal consists of the hull, germ, floury parti- 

 cles, and some of the flinty portion of the corn which is lost by the 

 process not being sufficiently perfect to remove it and include it in the 

 granular meal. The offal thus removed constitutes from 30 to 35 per 

 cent of the weight of the corn, depending upon the conditions of the 

 grain. Artificial heat is used in this method of manufacture. It 

 insures better results, and the meal will keep longer. This granular 

 meal is not in favor in the Southern States. They prefer a soft meal, 

 made in the old way. 



Aside from the method of manufacture there are two distinct kinds 

 of corn meal in the United States distinguished by color, viz, the white 

 and the yellow. White corn makes a flour which in color is quite like 

 the flour made from wheat. On the other hand, yellow corn makes a 

 flour of a rich yellow, which is highly prized in some quarters on 

 account of imparting its color to the bread made therefrom. When 

 prepared in the same way there is probably but little difference in the 

 nutritive value and palatableness of these two varieties. 



In Europe, as has been mentioned before, Indian corn is not consid- 

 ered fit for the manufacture of bread for the use of man. This preju- 

 dice seems quite baseless when we consider the very extensive use of 

 this material for bread making in this country and the high nutritive 

 properties which it possesses. With a diet of Indian-corn bread and 

 pork the workmen of this country are capable of enduring the greatest 

 fatigue and performing the greatest amount of physical labor. The 

 high nutritive value of Indian-corn bread was well illustrated in a 

 marked degree in the military service during the civil war between the 

 States. Both experience and chemical analysis show that there "is 

 little, if any, difference between the nutritive properties of bread made 

 from wheat and that from the whole Indian corn deprived only of the 

 coarsest parts of the bran. 



