Maize Products. 



395 



annually in the ten years ended 1897 was about 75 million 

 acres, and the average production for the same decade was 

 1,845,000,000 bushels ; the average export of maize and maize 

 meal during that period was 72,960,000 bushels, or about 4 

 per cent, of the production. A bulletin recently issued by 

 the United States Department of Agriculture gives some 

 account of the various uses to which the maize plant is 

 devoted, in addition to the employment of the grain for 

 human food and for cattle. 



Throughout the United States maize is a popular article 

 of food, and among parts of the population of the Southern 

 States this cereal is the principal bread food used. It 

 is also eaten largely in various other forms, as hasty 

 pudding (mush) and other preparations. But though maize 

 enters largely into the dietary of the people, its principal use 

 is as fodder for live stock, while it is also employed in various 

 manufactures. 



The blades of the maize stalks have been used from earliest 

 times for feeding farm animals in the United States; and a 

 portion of the stalks has also been used for similar purposes. 

 In some localities maize stover [i.e., stalk offals) almost 

 excludes other forms of coarse food, such as timothy hay, 

 clover, etc. This fodder is often fed in the coarse state with- 

 out any preparation whatever, but in this condition a very 

 large percentage of it is wasted, the cattle eating little except 

 the blades, and perhaps some of the smaller and more tender 

 parts of the stalk. In the older parts of the country it is 

 becoming general to have the fodder finely shredded. This 

 not only increases the quantity which becomes available for 

 food, but also leaves the manure in a much better condition 

 for spreading on the ground. The cobs of Indian corn have 

 high nutritive values, but are used mostly for fuel and not 

 for cattle feeding. In the past few years they have, however, 

 been employed in some States for the latter purpose, after 

 having been ground to a fine meal. 



It has already been stated that maize is used to a great 

 extent in various manufactures. An industry in the United 

 States Vi^hich absorbs large quantities is the manufacture 

 of starch, practically all the starch of commerce being 



