146 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 



9-10 EDWARD VII., A. 1910 



Protein. — A comparison of the protein data of the members of each group, inter 

 se, indicates a slight increase in the percentage of this important constituent due to 

 storage — the increases being larger when the samples had been kept as flour. One 

 exception occurs in the case of the Yellow Cross, in which the protein-content remained 

 practically constant whether the wheat was kept as grain or flour throughout the 

 entire storage period. 



The slight increase in the percentage of protein might, we presume, be accounted 

 for by the destruction of some of the carbohydrates by slow oxidation during storage, 

 and no doubt the fact that flour presents a larger surface to the air, thus allowing 

 more rapid oxidation, furnishes the explanation for the change being greater in the 

 flour than in the grain. 



Comparing group with group it is evident that the amount of protein is related 

 to the baking strength of a flour. Thus, in the Red Mfe group we have over 14 per 

 cent protein accompanied by baking values of more than 100, while Dawson's Golden 

 Chaff with a protein-content of less than 11-5 per cent has baking values less than 77. 

 Though the percentage of protein is an index of strength, we have not been able to 

 establish any definite ratio between these two classes of data. 



Gli-adin. — A tendency towards an increase in this constituent is observed in a 

 number of the groups, showing a certain amount of parallelism between protein-con- 

 tent and gliadin. 



Throughout the series there are no indications within the group that the quantity 

 of gliadin materially influences the baking strength. Differences in baking values 

 among the members of a group are at times quite marked, but the percentages of 

 gliadin for these same flours may not vary beyond the limits of experimental error. 

 It is, however, significant that the percentages of gliadin of the Red Fife group, rated 

 as the highest in baking strength, are decidedly higher — 1-5 per cent — than those of 

 the Dawson's Golden Chaff group, which, it will be observed, stands lowest in strength. 

 Again, Chelsea, Stanley A and Turkey Red all fall below 5 per cent in gliadin, and 

 the strength of their flours is considerably under 100 — the mark awarded to several in 

 the series containing 5 per cent and over of gliadin. 



Gluten. — The general agreement between dry gluten and protein, regarding which 

 we have in past years furnished much evidence, is again to be noted. It follows, 

 therefore, that whatever we have said concerning the relationship of protein to baking 

 strength applies equally to dry gluten. 



Nitrogen-and-ash-free Extract and Volume of Loaf. — A consideration of the 

 results from the determinations of the nitrogen-and-ash-free extract and the volume 

 of loaf indicates that if there is any relationship between the two classes of data it is 

 not as might have been expected — volume increasing with the amount of extract — but 

 rather the reverse, for in four of seven groups maximum extract is associated with 

 minimum volume of loaf. 



