CHEMICAL SCIENCE. 181 



The quantity of water in wheat and flour is greater in cold coun- 

 tries than in warm ones, as there is not so much heat in the former to 

 dry it out in ripening. In Alsace there is ordinarily from 16 to 20 per 

 cent, of water; in England, from 14 to 17 per cent.; in the United 

 States, from 12 to 14 per cent.; and in Africa and Sicily, from 9 to 11 

 per cent. 



It has been ascertained without doubt, that the real value of wheat 

 and other breadstuff's depends mainly upon the proportion of gluten and 

 albumen which they contain, their starch, glucose, and dextrine, or gum, 

 not being considered nutritious. Wheat exceeds all the other cereals in 

 the quantity of nutritive matter which it contains. Southern wheat gen- 

 erally contains a larger portion of gluten than that from more northern 

 countries. 



Another important point connected with wheat and wheat flour is 

 the proportion of water or moisture which they contain. To secure 

 their keeping, the proportion of water must be reduced 8 or 10 per 

 cent. Southern flour .usually contains less moisture than the Northern. 

 There is less moisture in Southern wheat than in Northern, conse- 

 quently the. flour from Southern wheat will absorb more water and 

 make more bread than that from Northern. The gain in favor of Ala- 

 bama flour, as compared with that from Cincinnati, is stated to be 20 

 per cent. The proportion of water in the wheat and wheat flour of the 

 United States is generally less than in those of England, France, and 

 the North of Europe. These are important facts for dealers and con- 

 sumers. 



The presence of water in wheat and wheat flour causes it to sour and 

 become musty. This might be obviated by paying more attention to 

 drying and ventilation. The total amount of loss for the whole United 

 States, arising from chemical changes in breadstuff's by internal moisture, 

 has been estimated at from $3,000,000 to $5,000,000 annually. To 

 remedy this great evil, the grain should be well ripened before harvest- 

 ing, and well dried before being stored. Kiln-drying is, says The 

 Plough, Loom, and Anvil, preferable. The mode of ascertaining the 

 amount of water is as follows. Take, say five ounces, and weigh it 

 carefully ; then place it in a dry vessel, which should be heated by boil- 

 ing water. After six or seven hours, weigh it carefully, and the differ- 

 ence shows the original amount of water. 



According to a statement made by a quartermaster in the United 

 States army, one barrel of flour, or 196 pounds, when in dough, con- 

 tains about 11 gallons, or 90 pounds, of water, 2 gallons of yeast, and 3 

 pounds of salt, making a mass of 305 pounds, which evaporates, in 

 kneading and baking, about 40 pounds, leaving in bread about -265 

 pounds ; the bread thus exceeding hi weight the flour employed by about 

 33.50 per cent. 



Fine flour contains a less proportion of nutritive matter than the 

 whole meal (Graham flour), but such is the controlling influence of cus- 

 tom, that it is perhaps in vain to attempt a change, even though its ben- 

 efits may be clearly proved by the researches of science, and by an exten- 

 sive experience. 



The constituents of flour, according to chemical investigations, are 



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