GRAMTNEM 



633 



for this purpose wlicat flour is made with water into a stiff 

 dougli j this is set aside for 2 hours, and then placed upon a 

 fine wire sieve, where it is kneaded under a thin stream of water 

 until the latter no longer hecomes milky ; nearly the whole of 

 the gluten will remain upon the sieve. After sufRcient washing 

 with pure water, the starch is drained in boxes, cut into cubical 

 blocks, and dried in properly-constructed drying chambers. 



Mucilage of starch, Avhen heated to about 160° C. (320° F.), 

 or when boiled with very dilute sulphuric acid, or when digested 

 with diastase at about 70° C (158"^ F.), is converted, 

 according to Musculus (1860), first into nutlfose, 0"H"0 

 which is probably a compound of dextrin, C*H'°0% and dextrose, 

 CH^'O', the former passing finally likewise into glucose. 



Iodine imparts to starch in the presence of water, and to starch- 



11 



mucilage, a blue color which disappears ou the application of 

 heat, but reappears ou cooling. Bromine colors the starch 

 brown -yellow. Fuming nitric acid transforms starch into 

 x>/loidin, C°H^(NO')0% which is a white, tasteless powder, 

 insoluble in alcohol, but softening in boiling water. A filtered 

 solution of starch in water yields with tannin a flocculent 

 precipitate which is soluble in boiling water. When incinerated, 

 starch should leave not over 1 per cent, of ash. 



The exports of Wheat from India to Europe last year exceeded 

 ^397.000 tons, an increase on the shipments of the previous 

 twelve months of 7*25,000 tons, or 110 per cent., and the^^wcre 

 larger than the previous largest shipments in any year, that of 

 1886, by 265,000 tons, or 23-4 per cent. In the past seven 

 calendar years the exports from the three great shipping ports 

 have been as under : 



Yea 



rs. 



1891 

 1890 

 1889 

 ]888 

 1887 

 1886 

 1885 



• • 9 



• • • 



« « • 



« * * 



• • 



» ■ 



ft » • 



« « 



• « * 



« « 



• ■ t 



i « « 



■ « « 



665,543 



272,644 

 305,044 



483,035 



462,428 



617,834 



542,562 



From 

 Kuiiachee. 



512,632 

 334,042 

 3 1 1,137 

 149,277 



32,977 

 186,352 

 307,844 



From 

 Calcutta. 



Total 

 Tons. 



219,221 

 65,439 

 77,637 

 148,776 

 229,012 

 328,558 

 212,277 



1,397,466 

 672,125 

 723,818 



781,088 



724,417 



1,132,744 



1,062,683 



