About the Book

Farmers' Bulletin 553 was written by C. P. Hartley, Physiologist in Charge of Corn Investigations, and J. G. Willier of the same office, and printed by the Government Printing Office in Washington.

It is a serious agricultural document about popcorn. It covers the home plat, the choice of variety, planting, the care of the growing crop, harvesting and storing, the four types of hand popper, how to pop, and then — because the government thought it mattered — chocolate popcorn, sugared popcorn and popcorn balls.

Its argument is that a farm family with a supply of popcorn and a popper to hand will spend fewer nickels on less wholesome knicknacks and more evenings around the fire.

This site reproduces the complete text of the original 1913 edition, digitized page by page from the original printing. The book is in the public domain.