FOOD PEODUCTS. 47 



In the matter of farinaceous foods, though no absolutely 

 new source has to be recorded as the introduction of the 

 nineteenth century, the extension of existing sources, both 

 in supply and demand, has been remarkable. The most 

 striking development, perhaps, is in Coenfloub, Maizena, 

 and similar preparations of maize or Indian corn {Zea 

 Mays). It is now nearly sixty years since William Cobbett 

 so strongly advocated the growth of maize in this country 

 in his treatise on " Cobbett's Corn," and even grew it ex- 

 tensively on his own farm at Nine Elms. It has since been 

 proved, however, that though the plant will grow well with 

 us, the average length of the English summer is not suffi- 

 cient to thoroughly ripen the crops. Nevertheless, we 

 import enormous quantities of the grain into this country 

 from the United States ; the trade returns of which show 

 that, while in 1856 444,453 cwt. of Indian corn or maize 

 were imported into England, in 1889 the quantity had risen 

 to 36,203,069 cwt., representing a value of £8,580,080 ; 

 while of Indian corn meal, an article not known in 1856, 

 there were in 1889 imported 24,066 cwt., valued at £19,365. 

 Indian corn is not only an article of human diet, but it is 

 also used for feeding horses, as well as in distilling. 



Rice, the grain of Oryza sativa, is another article of a 

 similar character which shows a large increase in imports 

 and consumption of late years. Thus, from British India we 

 received in 1889 4,632,097 cwt., and from other countries 

 1,950,652 cwt., making a total of 6,582,749 cwt., of the 

 aggregate value of £2,689,363 ; while in 1856 the imports 

 of rice from all countries were 3,692,001 cwt. 



Sago, Tapioca, and similar farinaceous food products, 

 have also more or less increased. 



Amongst pulses probably the most notable advance is 

 in Lentils, the seeds of Lens esculenta, a very ancient food- 

 plant, cultivated by the Hebrews, and in Europe since the 

 days of the Roman , Empire, and at the present time 



