winter dish. This was corn or maize the kernels of which were denuded
of their "hulls" by the chemical action of alkalies, which, however,
impaired the sweetness of the food. Hominy is corn deprived of the
hulls by mechanical means leaving the corn with all its original flavor
unimpaired. Hominy is a favorite dish throughout the country, but is not
always entirely free from particles of the outer skin of the kernels.
The mill shown in perspective in the engraving is intended to obviate
this objection.

[Illustration: DONALDSON'S PATENT HOMINY MILL.]

The corn is placed in the hopper, A, from which it is fed to the hulling
cylinder contained in the case, B. The hulling machinery is driven by
a belt on the pulley, C, the other end of the shaft of which carries
a pinion which gives motion to the gear wheel, D. This, by means of a
pinion on the shaft of the blower, E, drives the fans of the blower. On
the other, or front end of the shaft which carries the gear, D, is a
bevel gear by which another bevel gear and worm is turned. The worm
rotates the worm gear, F, in two opposite arms of which are slots that
carry pins projecting inwards, which may be moved toward or away from
the center. This gear wheel turns free on the shaft that carries the
pulley, C, and is intended for opening, by means of the pins in the
arms and levers, a cover in the bottom of the hopper and a valve in the
bottom of the hulling cylinder. Coiled or bent springs return these
levers or valves to place when the pin which moves them has passed.

A wrist-pin on the gear, D, forms a crank which is connected to a bar
at the rear end of the sieves, G, pivoted to an arm at H, by which the
sieves have a shaking or reciprocating motion as the machine operates.
The blower drives out the hulls and the motion of the sieves with their