Curious Facts

Everything below is in the book — each one links straight to the page it comes from.

1. Plant when the oaks say so. "A good time to plant is when the oak trees begin to show their new leaves" — the USDA giving phenology, not a date, because the oak knows your local spring. Read it in the book →
2. Ninety seconds is the government standard. The right heat "should make good corn begin to pop in 1½ minutes" — faster means less volume, slower means poor heat or poor corn. Read it in the book →
3. One kernel deep, no more. Do not take too much at once — "not more than enough to barely cover the bottom of the popper one kernel deep." Read it in the book →
4. The duds become breakfast. "The parched unpopped kernels when ground like coffee make a very good breakfast food for eating with cream and sugar or for boiling with water and serving like oatmeal." Read it in the book →
5. A good popper cost a dime. Popper No. 4 — "a favorite style… carried in stock by many stores. It costs only 10 cents. The only objection is its small size." Read it in the book →
6. Popcorn decorated the Christmas tree by variety. The ears of Little Tom Thumb and the popped kernels of the Eight-Rowed varieties "are popular for Christmas-tree decorations." Read it in the book →
7. Store it hanging from the rafters. Ears go on slatted racks hung by wires in the wagon shed, or strung up in the garret — "safe from birds, mice, and squirrels," and never in a heated room. Read it in the book →
8. The USDA's case against the candy counter. "If every farm home would keep a supply of pop corn and a popper convenient, fewer nickels would be spent for less wholesome knicknacks." Read it in the book →
9. The children should plant it. Growing popcorn "usually interests the children and it is well to let them do the planting" — a federal bulletin assigning chores. Read it in the book →
10. Popped corn was eaten like cereal. "Sometimes the popped corn is eaten with milk and sugar like a breakfast food" — decades before any cereal company thought to puff a grain. Read it in the book →