Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1869 [PAGE 213]

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199 Burlington corn ripens in 85 days. It is the earliest corn I know anything about. I would advise the planting only of the extra early kinds, and plant these very early in the season, about the time of sowing oats. Dr. MORSE—I recently traveled East, and found the people growing corn for the purpose of canning. Now it seemed to me that this was a good thing for western farmers to go into. I said to one man, " I should think western men would go into this," but he replied, "they can't do it." I remember, also, visiting a cheese manufactory. " Well," said the gentleman showing me around, u one thing you can't do out West, you can't compete with us in making cheese." I replied, "we can beat you all to pieces." "You have no springs," he retorted. "There is a man," I said, "who has invented a milk-cooler, and we don't need your springs." Eastern men try to convince us that we can't do what they can. Prof. STEWART—I never saw any corn that was canned fit to eat. Mr. FREEMAN—It is a very simple operation. 1 will give an illustration. I put up a dozen cans one season. I was assisting my wife in putting up the corn. We were going out that day, and were in a hurry to complete the work, and did not give the corn time to boil. It was soldered up cold and set away. A small hole was punctured in each can, and they were boiled the next morning, and every can of them kept perfectly, and all who ate of the corn said it was fresh and good as when cut from the cob. A VOICE—Is there any danger of the steam bursting the can ?

Mr. FREEMAN—No, sir; not at all.

A VOICE—How long do you boil it ? Dr. HULL—Four hours is the time. Mr. FREEMAN—From observations made in the southern part of the State, we gather the following interesting facts: In the elevated regions about Cobden we must plant early, but 30 miles south of there, on a fine bed of loess, they plant corn on the first of July and make fine crops. They are there about sixty feet above water-marks. Cobden is 500 or 600 feet above. Mr. DUNLAP suggested that it would perhaps be easier and safer to grow corn and dry it, instead of canning, a process not always successful in all hands.