184 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS. 



64 VICTORIA. A. 1901 



during an unusually wet season, contains more water than one grown under the opposite 

 conditions. Taken into consideration without reference to the other constituents of 

 the grain, a large proportion of water is to be deprecated, for the very simple reason 

 that water is scarcely worth purchasing at the price given for wheat or flour. This 

 however, is not the only objection to the presence of a large percentage of water ; 

 a mitch more serious objection is based on the fact that such high proportions show 

 that the wheat is unsound, and that in all probability the other constituents will not 

 be of the most promising character. In the first place, damp wheats and flours favour 

 the development of those organisms which produce mustiness or acidity. In the 

 presence of excess of moisture, too, the gluten of flour is rendered soluble in part, and 

 also loses in elasticity. Further, more or less of the starch will be found to ha^e 

 been degraded into dextrin and maltose by diastasis.' 



Considering, therefore, that it was desirable in the interests of both farmers and 

 millers to ascertain the correctness or otherwise of this widespread impression regard- 

 ing the crop of 1899, we requested Mr. David Horn, Chief Grain Inspector of Winni- 

 peg, to make a collection of Manitoba wheats, taking the samples direct from the car, 

 and forwarding them to us for examinatioB. Accordingly, we received in March 9 

 samples. Mr. Horn writes : ' They are taken from cars passing here (Winnipeg) and 

 sent in self -sealing jais. The wheats have never been biought into the heat. They are 

 ticketed with the name of the station from which the wheats were shipped.' 



The wheats on arrival were immediately ground and submitted to careful 

 analysis. The moisture results are given as follows : — 



Moisture in Wheats from Manitoba. 



Station froni which 1899 Crop. 



car was shipped. Percentage of moisture. 



Grenfell 1:^-44 



Broadview 12 63 



Wapella 12 -U 



Glen Ewan 12-57 



Hamiota 12-60 



Whitewood 12-25 



Indian Head 12-29 



Winkler 10-25 



Alexander 1155 



These percentages are by no means excessive, though slightly higher than those 

 obtained on the Canadian wheats exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition, 

 Chicago, 1893, which were as follows: — 



Average Percentage of Moisture. 



Number Percentage 



Province of of 



Samples. Moisture. 



Ontario 26 11-75 



Manitoba 9 11-93 



North-west Territories 9 11-55 



British Columbia 5 11-18 



Total 49 Average. 1169 



The difference between these results and those of 1899 crop may be partly due to 

 season, but we think in all probability it is mainly caused by the drjdng out of the 

 wheats before examination at Chicago; much of the grain exhibited there had been 

 harvested 12 to 14 nonths when analysed. But be that as it may, we cannot regard 

 the quantity of moisture in the wheat of the 1899 crop as at all excessive or abnormal, 

 ^lor such as to cause any alarm in i-espect to the keeping qualities of the wheat or that 

 of the flour produced from them. 



