248 ENVIRONMENT AND BAKING QUALITIES. 



are of a white or yellow colour with a grey hue. When I was 

 examining the samples for the first time, I did not know the 

 geographical position of Gurdaspnr or Mirpurkhas, and I was very 

 greatly interested when I discovered that these places are in the 

 Indus Valley. The hue to which I am referring appears, therefore, to 

 be characteristic of the district so far as this variety is concerned, 

 and it is a good point, for to me it is indicative of good quality. It 

 is very mifortunate that the Lyallpur sample, and, in lesser degree, 

 the Gurdaspur lot are so dirty. That blemish detracts very seriously 

 from their appearance, and it would militate against their commercial 

 value, especially when the wheat is first introduced to our markets 

 in commercial quantities. In a previous season, I received a sample 

 lot of wheat grown at Eaipur, which possessed a most attractive 

 appearance and was in fact of very superior quality. This Pusa 

 12 sample grown at Eaipur in 1912 has a very peculiar appearance. 

 It contains a few grains of a pink hue, and other grains which have 

 a black discoloration at the germ end of the berry. If that wheat 

 had been offered to me in commerce, I should have bought only 

 a small quantity at a low price, because its unusual appearance would 

 have left me in great doubt concerning its real worth. The Tharsa 

 wheat is smaller in berry than the average Pusa 12, but British 

 millers would not object to it for that reason. The remaining Black 

 Soil lot, Orai, is very pale and therefore unattractive in appearance 

 to millers who have to make strong flour. 



In recent years, a great deal has been heard of strength in 

 wheat, and in some connections that point is of great importance, 

 but it is easy to exaggerate its importance in other connections. So 

 although an increase in the strength of Indian wheat is desirable, 

 it is far from being the only point of quality which buyers will take 

 into consideration. For instance, Pusa 12, grown at Orai and 

 Bankipore, has the appearance of weakness, but in other respects 

 are good, well-grown wheats. The Dumraon lot, although it contains 

 a considerable proportion of translucent grains, does not appear to 

 be strong, nevertheless it is a beautiful sample of wheat. I need 

 not attempt to describe the appearance of each U)t in detail, but 



