380 CEREALS. 



Examples, well authenticated, of this kind might be 

 multiplied indefinitely. But enough has been said to show 

 that, all other things being equal, the ground corn, or if 

 possible cooked, will go much further than in its natural 

 state. For this reason still slops, though deprived of much 

 of their nourishing qualities, will fatten hogs or cattle 

 faster than if fed on corn with all its ingredients intact. 



Sir Humphry Davy, after numerous experiments, came 

 to the conclusion that wheat contained 95 per cent, of 

 nutritive matter, and corn 77 per cent. Therefore if a 

 bushel of corn is worth 77 cents, a bushel of wheat is 

 worth 95 cents, so far as nutrition is concerned. But when 

 it is remembered that the 23 per cent, of innutritions mat- 

 ter, which constitutes a portion of the maize, is desirable 

 in man for food as "necessary not only to satisfy the craving 

 of hunger, but to promote digestion by the stimulus of dis- 

 tention, which bulk alone can give," it will be understood 

 that the comparative value of corn is even greater than 

 would appear from these analyses. 



But the prices of these two grains have never been con- 

 trolled by their proportions of nutrition. Corn in 1877 

 could be bought in abundance at 40 to 45 cents per 

 bushel, while wheat brought $1.10 to $1.40, thus showing 

 that however cheap, and however nutritious, the taste of the 

 people impels them largely in favor of flour. 



Before closing this part of the subject it will not be irrele- 

 vant to say a few words on the subject of preparation of 

 corn for human food. In the first place, corn should never 

 be ground too fine. It will never make as good bread 

 when the cells are all broken, as it then has nothing to re- 

 tain the gas or steam induced by heat, and so it is heavy. 

 When intended to be made into plain bread, put nothing in 

 it but cold water, and make it up with a large amount, and 

 then put it in an extremely hot oven and let it remain only 

 long enough to brown on the surface. This will make bread 

 to suit the most fastidious taste. Every housewife has ways 



