FOODS HUMAN NUTKITIOF. 169 



The Breeding of Wheat, by R. H. Biffeu ; Wheat Breeding in Canada, by C. E. 

 Saunders; The Influence of Good Seed in Wheat Production, by C. A. Zavitz; 

 Individuality in Plants, by L. S. Klinck; Quality in Wheaten Flour, by A. B. 

 Humphries; The Chemical Properties of Wheaten Flour, by E. F. Armstrong; 

 An Analysis of the Factors Contributing to Strength in Wheaten Flour, by W. 

 B. Hardy; Chemical Work on Canadian Wheat and Flour, by F. T. Shutt; A 

 Comparison of the Baking Qualities of the Flour from Some of the Grades of 

 Wheat Produced in the Western Provinces of Canada, by R. Harcourt; and 

 The History of the Wheats, by O. Staff. 



A brief summai-y of the discussion which follovv^ed the presentation of papers 

 is also given. 



On the strength of wheat flour, F. J. Alway and Stella Hartzell 

 (Nebraska Sta. Rpt. 1909, pp. 100-110).— The rate of evolution of carbon dioxid 

 during bread fermentation was studied and baking tests were made with a 

 number of samples of flour used in an investigation previously reported 

 (E. S. R., 19, p. 666), in comparison with samples of flour used as a standard. 



As regards the evolution of gas, the authors point out that a marked simi- 

 larity was noted in different flours from the same mill. 



From the recorded data it is apparent that there was " no direct connection 

 shown between the size of the loaf and the volume oi gas evolved. The 13 

 flours which gave the largest loaves evolved on the average somewhat less gas 

 than the other 13 flours. 



"Allowing for all experimental errors, it seems at least improbable in view of 

 the above that there is any marked connection, in the case of somewhat similar 

 flours, between the size of loaf and the amount of gas evolved in incubation 

 experiments. While we do not wish to imply that there are not valuable results 

 to be derived from an exhaustive study along the lines of Wood's conclusion 

 (E. S. R., 19, p. 457), any such study requires, in addition to the ordhiary 

 laboratory equipment, a skillful baker and a large oven. 



" Most commercial flour-testing laboratories work on a small laboratory 

 scale and in the case of flours from the same variety of wheat the results 

 obtained are often of very doubtful value." 



The color and ash content of different grades of Nebraska flour, F. J. 

 Alway and V. L. Clark (Nebraska Sta. Rpt. 1909, pp. 26-30).— With a view 

 to securing data of value in determining the grade of flour, the authors deter- 

 mined the ash content and color of samples of so-called patent, straight, and 

 bakers' grade flours from 11 mills. 



Judged by their ash content in comparison with selected average values, none 

 of the samples was below the grade reported by the millers. " In all cases 

 the bakers' grade shows more ash than the straight grade from the same mill, 

 and the straight shows more ash than the patent from the same mill. The 

 same statement does not hold true when the samples from different mills are 

 compared. The colors correspond to the gi-ades, the bakers' grade in all cases 

 showing a more or less gray tint. Most of the samples of the straight grade 

 show a trace of gi-ay, while none of the patents does. It is evident that these 

 11 sets may be considered strictly representative of the three grades requested. 

 As these sets were selected by chance from the samples sent in by over 20 

 mills, it is safe to conclude that the large collections of flours dealt with [in a 

 previous bulletin (E. S. R., 19, p. 666)] were as truly representative as could 

 be desired." 



The effects of bleaching upon the digestibility of wheat flour, E. W. Rock- 

 wood (Jour. Biol. Chem., 8 (1910), No. ^ pp. S21-3ItO) .—In view of the fact 

 that conflicting results have been obtained in studies of the digestibility of the 

 constituents of wheat flour which has been bleached by nitrogen peroxid, the 



