666 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



The utilization of the whole grain for food purposes, D. Finkleb (Jour. 

 Roy. Inst. Fub. Health, W {1911), No. 4, pp. 193-199, pis. 2).— In this article 

 the author summarizes data regarding his process for grinding bran in such a 

 way that the cell walls are ruptured and the cell contents made available, and 

 reports experiments establishing the digestibility of breads prepared with the 

 addition of varying quantities of the special bran flour obtained (E. S. R., 23. 

 p. 369). The conclusion reached is that such breads are as well assimilated as 

 ordinary breads and that therefore the bran flour ground by the special wet 

 method is well digested. 



Concerning- German grains — the baking quality of rye and wheat flour, 

 M. P. Neumann and K. Mohs (Ztschr. Gesam. Getreid&w., 2 (1910), Nos. 8, pp. 

 187-191; 9, pp. 208-215; 10, pp. 231-238).— A large number of varieties of 

 wheat and rye are included in this comparative study, in which the influence of 

 fertilizers is taken into account as well as other factors. In the case of rye 

 flour, the conclusion is reached that the protein content has even less effect on 

 baking quality than in the case of wheat flour. In general, the conclusions have 

 to do with the varieties most satisfactory for local agricultural conditions. 



Bacterial leaven of salt- rising bread, H. A. Kohman (Nat. Baker, llf 

 (1909), No. 164, PP- 39-41). — From his studies the author concluded that the 

 leavening agent in salt-rising bread fermentation is a bacterium and not a yeast. 



The fermentation in salt-rising bread " is quite different from yeast fermenta- 

 tion. For every pound of carbon dioxid produced by yeast there is something 

 more than a pound of alcohol produced, while the bacterial fermentation in salt- 

 rising bread is nonalcoholic." 



He succeeded in isolating the bacterium in pure culture, and states that the 

 organism can be propagated without any diflaculty. He also states that he has 

 prepared it for use by growing it in milk and then adding the milk to the 

 sponge and also by making a batter with fermented milk and flour. " This 

 batter when dried can be used as a starter, and then the ordinary method can 

 be followed. A very small quantity of the starter is sufficient to set up a 

 vigorous fermentation." 



[Bread making studies] — report of association fellowship student at Uni- 

 versity of Kansas, H. A. Kohman (Nat. Assoc, blaster Bakers [Proc], 13 

 (1910), pp. 29-37, fig. 1). — Experimental studies led to the conclusion that the 

 addition to dough of some saccharin material such as sugar and malt extract 

 is justiflable, and that " very often when the yeast works slowly, especially 

 toward the end of the fermentation period, when it is most essential that the 

 bi-ead rises well, it is due to the lack of these." 



The activity of several sorts of malt extract was tested and the amount of 

 sugar determined in breads made with the addition of cane sugar, malt extract, 

 and cooked flour, and in bread made without any such additions. Nearly as 

 much sugar was found in the bread made with i per cent malt and Si per cent 

 cooked flour as in that made with 2^ per cent cane sugar. This the author 

 attributes to the fact that gelatinized starch is a favorable medium for the 

 development of the yeast plant. His experiments led him to conclude that 

 many starch granules of the flour remained intact even after the bread was 

 baked. 



" While the use of malt extract in bread making has its advantages, it cer- 

 tainly becomes necessary to exercise more care than when sugar is used." Not 

 more than 1 per cent of malt extract, especially if strong, is needed, too much 

 resulting in a sticky dough of dark color, " The amounts that can be suc- 

 cessfully used depend both upon the strength of the flour and the activity of 

 the extract. With a weak flour one must use low diastatic extracts, while with 



