456 [Assembly 



t"hat render its use repugnant to the taste of man or animals. 

 For if wlien it is placed in vessels it contains an undue quantity 

 of moisture, it will heat and decay ; if dry, it will absorb moisture 

 and fumes. And it is for this reason tliat Europeans have be- 

 come prejudiced against the use of our Indian corn as food for 

 themselves. Tlieir domestic animals feed upon it from a natural 

 taste for the grain, but its effects upon them when in the imper- 

 fect state described, cannot be other than deleterious. 



If this grain was left in the Jield a longer period than usual, 

 and if it was also permitted to remain long enough in the crib, 

 until the cob should become entirely exhausted of its moisture, 

 and then be exported on the cob, we, of the Eastern States, could 

 receive this product of our Western States in perfection and thus 

 ship it to half-fed Europeans. But to export Indian corn upon 

 the cob is impracticable, from its bulk, and the consequent cost. 

 To obviate tiiese difiiculties, kiln drying was resorted to, and has 

 been in use for many years in tlie United States. The process 

 consists of passing the grain over highly heated pans, or through 

 highly heated cylinders, which carbonizes the bran, and heats 

 the grain to a degree sufficient tliat when placed in a pile of 

 several hundred bushels it shall, by the force of the licat imbibed, 

 carry off the moisture of the grain. This latter process requires 

 24 to 36 hours. Some of the moisture condenses and falls back 

 on the pile ; this portion of the grain is raked off, and the grain 

 which is dried has been rendered very triable by the scorching 

 and scalding procf^ss it has unnpvgorp Tt is th'^n grnnrtd he^^we^n 

 mill-stones in the usual manner. This is the food which the 

 slaves of the West Indies are made to eat, and it is this kind of 

 meal of which quantities were shipped to Ireland and England 

 during the famine ; and it is such food that many of our sailors 

 are compelled to eat in our merchant marine. There are but a 

 very few persons in the United States who are not interested 

 either in the manufiifeture of it, the W>st India or South Ameri- 

 can trade, that know what kiln dried corn meal is. It is never 

 consumed in tlie United States, for you will readily perceive that 

 to submit it to another cooking process must extract much of the 

 nutrition left in it j and to use it half-cooked must be productive 

 of injurious effects. 



