CORN, BARLEY, PEARL BARLEY, OATS, RYE, POTATOES, TEA, COFFEE, AND
CHOCOLATE.
What is Corn?
Corn signifies a race of plants which produce grain in an ear or head,
fit for bread, the food of man; or the grain or seed of the plant,
separated from the ear.
What is generally meant by Corn?
In this country, maize, or Indian corn, is generally meant; but, in a
more comprehensive sense, the term is applied to several other kinds
of grain, such as wheat, rye, barley, oats, &c.
Where was Corn first used?
It is uncertain. The Athenians pretend that it was amongst them it was
first used; the Cretans, Sicilians, and Egyptians also lay claim to
the same. From the accounts in the Bible, we find that its culture
engaged a large share of the attention of the ancient Hebrews.
_Culture_, growth, cultivation. _Hebrews_, the children of
Israel, the Jews
Who were the Athenians?
Inhabitants of Athens, the capital city of Greece.
Who were the Cretans?
The inhabitants of Crete, an island of the Archipelago.
Who were the Sicilians?
Inhabitants of Sicily, the largest island of the Mediterranean Sea,
now a part of Italy, and separated from the mainland by the Strait of
Messina.
Where do the Egyptians dwell?
In Egypt, a country of Africa. It is extremely fertile, producing
great quantities of corn. In ancient times it was called the dry nurse
of Rome and Italy, from its furnishing with corn a considerable part
of the Roman Empire; and we are informed, both from sacred and
profane history, that it was anciently the most fertile in corn of all
countries of the world. The corn of Syria has always been very
superior, and by many classed above that of Egypt.
For what is Barley generally used?
It is very extensively used for making malt, from which are prepared
beer, ale, porter, &c.; in Scotland it is a common ingredient in
broths, for which reason its consumption is very considerable, barley
broth being a dish very frequent there.
_Ingredient_, a separate part of a body consisting of
different materials.
What is Pearl Barley?
Barley freed from the husk by a mill.
What are Oats?
A valuable grain, serving as food for horses. Oats are also eaten by
the inhabitants of many countries, after being ground into meal and
made into oat cakes. Oatmeal also forms a wholesome drink for
invalids, by steeping it in boiling water.
What are the uses of Rye?
In this and some other countries it is much used for bread, either
alone or mixed with wheat; in England principally as food for cattle,
especially for sheep and lambs, when other food is scarce in winter.
Rye yields a strong spirit when distilled.
_Distilled_, subjected to distillation--the operation of
extracting spirit from a substance by evaporation and
condensation.
Of what country is the Potato a native?
Potatoes grew wild in Peru, a country of South America; whence they
were transplanted to other parts of the American continent, and
afterwards to Europe. The honor of introducing this useful vegetable
into England is divided between Sir Francis Drake, in 1580, and Sir
Walter Raleigh, in 1586, some ascribing it to the former, and others
to the latter. It is certain they were obtained from Virginia in the
time of Raleigh; they were cultivated only in the gardens of the
nobility, and were reckoned a great delicacy. They now constitute a
principal article of food in most of the countries of Europe and
America; in Ireland, they have long furnished nearly four-fifths of
the entire food of the people.
What part of the plant is eaten?
The root, which, when roasted or boiled, affords a wholesome and
agreeable meal.
What is Tea?
The leaves of an evergreen shrub, a native of China and Japan, in
which countries alone it is extensively cultivated for use. The
tea-plant was at one time introduced into South Carolina, where its
culture appears to have been attended with but little success. It may
yet become a staple production of some portions of the United States.
_Evergreen_, retaining its leaves fresh and green through
all seasons.
How is it prepared for use?
By carefully gathering the leaves, one by one, while they are yet
small, young, and juicy. They are then spread on large flat iron pans,
and placed over small furnaces, when they are constantly shifted by
the hand till they become too hot to be borne.
What is next done?
They are then removed with a kind of shovel resembling a fan, and
poured on mats, whence they are taken in small quantities, and rolled
in the palm of the hand always in one direction, until they cool and
retain the curl.
How often is this operation repeated?
Two or three times, the furnace each time being made less hot. The tea
is then placed in the store-houses, or packed in chests, and sent to
most of the countries in Europe and America.
Describe the appearance of the Tea-tree.
The Tea-tree when arrived at its full growth, which it does in about
seven years, is about a man's height; the green leaves are narrow, and
jagged all round; the flower resembles that of the wild rose, but is
smaller. The shrub loves to grow in valleys, at the foot of mountains,
and on the banks of rivers where it enjoys a southern exposure to the
sun; though it endures considerable variation of heat and cold, as it
flourishes in the northern clime of Pekin, where the winter is often
severe; and also about Canton, where the heat is sometimes very great.
The best tea, however, grows in a temperate climate, the country about
Nankin producing better tea than either Pekin or Canton, between which
two places it is situated.
What produces the difference between Green and Bohea, or Black?
There are varieties of the plant, and the difference of the tea arises
from the mode of preparation.
What nation first introduced it into Europe?
The Dutch in 1610; it was introduced into England in 1650
What is Coffee?
The berry of the coffee-tree, a native of Arabia. The coffee-tree is
an evergreen, and makes a beautiful appearance at all times of the
year, but especially when in flower, and when the berries are red,
which is usually during the winter. It is also cultivated in Persia,
the East Indies, Liberia on the coast of Africa, the West Indies,
Brazil and other parts of South America, as well as in most tropical
climates.
_Tropical_, being within the tropics, that is, in the Torrid
Zone.
Who was the original discoverer of Coffee, for the drink of man?
It is not exactly known: the earliest written accounts of the use of
Coffee are by Arabian writers in the 15th century; it appears that in
the city of Aden it became, in the latter half of that century, a very
popular drink, first with lawyers, studious persons, and those whose
occupation required wakefulness at night, and soon after, with all
classes. Its use gradually extended to other cities, and to those on
the eastern shores of the Mediterranean. Towards the end of the
seventeenth century, it was carried to Batavia where it was soon
extensively planted, and at last young trees were sent to the
botanical garden at Amsterdam.
Who introduced it into France and England?
Thevenot, the traveller, brought it into France, and a Greek servant
named Pasqua (taken to England by Mr. Daniel Edwards, a Turkey
merchant, in 1652, to make his coffee,) first set up the profession of
coffee-man, and introduced the drink among the English.
How is it prepared?
The berries are roasted in a revolving metallic cylinder, till they
are of a deep brown color, and then ground to powder, and boiled.
_Metallic_, consisting of metal.
What is Chocolate?
A kind of cake or paste, made of the kernel of the cacao-nut.
Describe the Cacao-nut Tree.
It resembles the cherry tree, and grows to the height of fifteen or
sixteen feet. The cacao-nut tree bears leaves, flowers, and fruit, all
the year through.
Where does it grow?
In tropical regions, where it is largely cultivated.
Of what form is the fruit?
It is somewhat like a cucumber, about three inches round, and of a
yellowish red color. It contains from ten to forty seeds, each covered
with a little rind, of a violet color; when this is stripped off, the
kernel, of which they make the chocolate, is visible.
How do they make it into a drink?
By boiling it with water or milk. There are various newly-invented
ways of preparing chocolate, so that it may be made in a few minutes,
by only pouring boiling water upon it.