6i6 Reading-Course for Farmers' Wives. 



Bread fJoitr is made from the hard sprhig wheat of the Northwest by 

 the new or patent process, a modification of the Hungarian system which 

 was introduced in this country about 1870. By means of this process 

 most of the vakiable constituents of the wheat remain in high grade white 

 flours. Bread flour has a creamy tinge and a granular texture and will 

 not retain the shape if held in the hand. 



Graham meal derives its name from Sylvester Graham, a food reformer 

 of the first half of the nineteenth century. The whole grain is ground 

 and the coarse bran may be used with the rest or separated by sifting. 



Whole or entire zvheat flours contain more of the outer coatings than 

 white flours, but are finer than graham meal. 



The relative merits of these varieties of flour are indicated in the fol- 

 lowing statements by unprejudiced authorities : 



" Graham flour as found in the market is likely to have been made 

 from a soft, winter wheat and will carry much less protein than tlie 

 Graham made from hard, spring wheat. The entire wheat flours vary 

 with the kind of wheat from which they are made and usually carry 

 one-half per cent less protein than a graham flour would from the same 

 wheat. 



" There are imitation graham and imitation entire wheat flours on the 

 market which are made by blending some of the poorer kinds of low 

 grade flours, usually from soft, winter wheat with 25 to 30 per cent of 

 wheat ofifals." — Bulletin 103. Maine Experiment Station. 



" The nutritive value of flour, in so far as the quantities of digestible 

 protein, fats, and carbohydrates, and available energy are concerned, is 

 not increased by milling the wheat in such a way as to retain large pro- 

 portions of bran and germ. 



" The differences in the amounts of total nutrients furnished the body 

 by the various grades of flour are, however, relatively small, all grades 

 being quite thoroughly digested. 



" The coarser flours have a tendency to increase peristaltic action and 

 are on this account especially valuable for some persons. 



" Judged by composition and digestibility, all the flours are very nutri- 

 tious foods, which experience has shown arc wholesome as well. The 

 fact must not be lost sight of that using different grades of flour for 

 bread making offers a convenient method of adding to the variety of the 



