FOODS, FOOD-STUFFS, AND FOOD-ADJUNCTS. 25 



of glucose, which is largely prepared from it. No 

 doubt our consumption of many fresh vegetables and 

 fruits, of Asparagus, Tomatoes, Spinach, Artichokes, 

 and Mushrooms, has increased more than pro- 

 portionally to the increase of population ; but this 

 has been mainly met by more extensive home market- 

 gardening, and has not seriously affected our imports. 

 The extension of the cultivation of Maize throughout 

 Asia, Africa, America, and Southern Europe has been 

 mainly the work of the last 150 years. It is cultivated 

 with less labour, probably, than any other cereal- 

 Prior to the potato famine of 1846 Maize was not a 

 regular article of British commerce. In 1847, 

 3,614,637 quarters were imported ; in 1850, 1,286,263 

 quarters ; in the first eight months of 1876, 27,000,000 

 cwt.; and in 1886, 31,000,000 cwt. Of this last 

 amount, 16,700,000 cwt. came from the United 

 States and 7,576,612 cwt. from Roumania. The 

 removal of legislative restrictions has led to its em- 

 ployment in large quantities in malting, as well as in 

 cattle-feeding. Many preparations of maize are also 

 popular articles of food, such as corn-flour, oswego, 

 and maizena. It is poorer in flesh-formers than 

 Wheat, but richer than Rice, and it contains more oil 

 than any cereal ; but 64^ per cent, of its composition 

 is starch. It cannot be relied upon to ripen its grain 

 in England ; but may sometimes answer as a fodder- 

 crop, the young stems being very rich in sugar and 

 yielding in warmer climes from 50,000 to 80,000 Ib. 

 of green fodder per acre. In Brittany it forms a 

 useful autumn crop on sandy soil too poor for Clover 

 or Lucerne. Three-fourths of the Maize produced in 



