EXPERIMENT STATION WORK ON FOOD AND NUTRITION. 229 



At the Illinois Station," for example, an extended investifjation was 

 made of the structure of the corn kernel and the composition of its 

 ditt'erent parts, and of the possihility of increasinjj: the yield of any 

 ingredient by a proper selection of seed. AVith careful selection and 

 breeding, the average yield of protein by some varieties of corn was 

 increased by one-third or more. 



As before suggested, the work of the Minnesota Station * with 

 wheat also included investigations of a similar nature. In the case of 

 wheat it has been pointed out that the varieties with maximum gluten 

 content furnish as much protein as average beef, and such wheat, pro- 

 vided its l)read-making properties are good, is most desirable, but it 

 makes considerable difference in what part of the wheat kernel the 

 increase of protein is found. It should be found in the endosperm, 

 from which the flour is nuide. In the investigations at the Minnesota 

 Station, therefore, milling and bread-making tests of the different 

 varieties of wheat are included. 



At both the Illinois and Minnesota stations especial effort has been 

 made to determine the physical characteristics of the kernels of grain 

 that are associated with differences in composition, and it has been 

 demonstrated that these are sufficiently pronounced to enable the 

 dift'erentiation to be made by mechanical examination, so that any 

 intelligent grower may select his seed in accordance with the ingre- 

 dient that he desires to produce. It is believed also that the same 

 principles apply in the case of other cereals, as rye and oats. The 

 possibilities of increase in the protein content of cereal food mate- 

 rials in general use are therefore great. 



As an illustration of the result of the introduction of new varieties 

 of cereals, the investigations with durum wheat, or macaroni wheat, 

 as it is commonly known, are interesting. Macaroni, vermicelli, spa- 

 ghetti, and noodles constitute a very important class of food materials 

 made from wheat. Much better grades of these materials are made 

 from durum wheat than from ordinary wheat. Several varieties of 

 durum wheat imported and distributed by the Department have been 

 very carefully tested under various conditions by different stations, 

 and have proved very successful. At the South Dakota Station '^ 

 especially, considerable attention has been given to the growth of 

 macaroni wheat and to the study of its milling and chemical charac- 

 teristics and the manufacture of macaroni. The practicability of the 

 use of macaroni flour in bread making has also been demonstrated 

 by the stati(m, and considerable advantage for its use in this respect 



Illinois Sta. Bill. 87. 



6 Mimiosota St.-i. Buls. ST) and DO. 



c South Dalvota Sta. Buls. 81 iiiid 92. • 



