350 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. [11 June, 1917. 



is fed to the milling separator which, being filled with sieves of a finer- 

 mesh, longer time is required to treat the grain, making for a more 

 complete separation of the smaller pieces of straw, husks, &c., that have, 

 escaped the warehouse separator. The next operation is to run the wheat 

 over a magnet to catch any pieces of iron wire or metal that may have 

 escaped the separators. It is then passed through the cockle and small- 

 seed cylinder, to remove grass seeds, &c., and next through the barley 

 and oats cylinder. By this time the wheat should be comparatively clean 

 and free from the different larger impurities common to all bulk samples 

 of wheat. The process of cleaning the berry has now to be performed, 

 and in this work careful treatment is necessary. The first step is to 

 pass the wheat through an emery scourer, and this treatment removes 

 most of the particles of dirt still adliering to the berry, and releases 

 through the action of the beaters some of the beeswings and beard of 

 the berry. To remove the portion of beeswings and beard released 

 during the previous operation and give a final polish to the berry the 

 grain is run through the brush machine, and after being treated here it 

 is ready for the conditioning bins. 



Conditioning. 



The cleaning and conditioning of wheat is to-day recognised as 

 second only in importance to the milling itself. The object of condition- 

 ing is to bring the wheat into a homogeneous condition, and that con- 

 dition is obtained when the component parts of the wheat grain are of 

 the same hardness, and the moisture content of the berry is uniform. 

 The first step in the process is to " know your wheat." Suffice it to say 

 that no " rule-of-thumb " method should be attempted if a consistent 

 quality of flour and offal is required, and if a high standard of colour 

 aiul yield is to be maintained; at the same time, of course, millers are 

 advised to adhere to the conditions which are foimd in practice to be 

 the most advantageous. There are changes in the wheats, and in the 

 weather conditions, that require attention. Wheat is a hygroscopic sub- 

 stance, that is, it possesses the power to some extent of absorbing moisture 

 from the air. The amount of water required to condition the wheat 

 will be regulated by the moisture of the Avlieat and by climatic conditions 

 at the time of treatment. 



Wheat well conditioned will give the best results, not only 

 under the rolls, by breaking in a free manner without ciitting 

 up the bran, but will return a maximum quantity of semolinas 

 and middlings. Victorian-grown wheat absorbs moisture quickly, and 

 necessary precautions should be taken to prevent too much water being 

 absorbed, or to allow the grain to remain for too long a time in the 

 conditioning bin. Should the stock become hot and sweaty on the rolls 

 as a result, of either of these conditions, the milling operations will be 

 faulty, and the flour of low grade, as regards colour and quality. Wheat 

 well conditioned will return a stronger flour than the same wheat in- 

 differently conditioned. The actions begun inside the berry by con- 

 ditioning are at present not fully understood. Speaking generally, the 

 efi'ect of moisture and heat is to set up a jirocess of fermentation, which 

 affects the flavour of the flour. If the wheat be milled at the proper 

 time, a sweetish flavour is imparted, while if it is allowed to remain 



