320 I Assembly 



States was three times as much as the wheat. The corn cob retains 

 its moisture for a long time, and of course the grain on it is very 

 liable to damage in masses. It is found that the corn from such 

 masses often will not germinate when planted. The chit turns of a 

 dark color, and so does the heart of the cob. To secure good seed 

 we hang up ears of corn separately in dry places, suspended by their 

 husks. The small grains will not thresh out readily unless they are 

 dry, — but our corn is shelled off the cob, whether moist or dry, and 

 vast quantities go on ship board hear, that are unfit for consumption, 

 and some cargoes on reaching Europe have nineteen out of twenty 

 bushels damaged. It acquires a musty smell, although it may be ap- 

 parently sound. This is a bar to its use abroad. If it was properly 

 prepared, sweet and sound, immense amounts of it would be taken 

 abroad, for we could spare probably three hundred millions of dol- 

 lars worth of it in a year! and make it cheaper to the world than 

 any other bread stuff. The old modes of kiln drying, &c., scorch it, 

 produce the empyreumatlc oil and smell. The process of Mr. Staf- 

 ford seems to be what we want, a perfect drying without destroying 

 the germinating power of grain! and preserving all the native 

 sweetness. 



The report of the committee on the Stafford process, at the 20th 

 annual fair of the American Institute, highly approving of it and the 

 award by the judges, of the gold medal of the Institute to Mr. 

 Stafford, for it, was called for and read. 



Charles Henry Hall read extracts from a letter from C. Reed, Esq., 

 Charleston, Ohio, slating his experience of the perfect preservation 

 of meal by the Stafford process, for upwards of a year, it not having in 

 the least suffered deterioration. 



The report of the committee of the •20th Fair is a good one; the 

 subject is of too great a moment to be dropped, we must pursue it 

 to completion. Let it be the special subject (or our next meeting, 

 and let out first merchants who deal in bread stuffs be invited to as- 

 sist in the discussion. 



Mr. Sickles concurred in the distinguished importance of this 

 question. Our Indian corn is far more valuable than our whole cot- 

 ton crop of the south. The plan of Mr. Stafford must be minutely 

 and thoroughly investigated, and I move that a committee be appoint- 

 ed and that merchants be invited to unite with them, to examine the 

 process As to our Indian corn, it is destined to traverse the globe. 

 We give the world cotton,- -and we shall, before long, give it Indian 



