THE USES OF WHEAT PRODUCTS 171 



V 



straw is an important product of the wheat plant. 

 The plaiting of the straw, furthermore, gives em- 

 ployment to thousands of women and children. 

 Most of the plaits are sent to the factories of 

 England and some are imported by the United 

 States. 



Wheat Grain as Stock Feed. - -Wheat grain not 

 only is relished by all kinds of farm stock but is 

 a valuable food. It is only within recent years, 

 however, that it has been so used to any great 

 extent. Since it costs more to produce wheat 

 than corn, wheat is not likely to become common 

 stock feed, but there are times when it can be 

 profitably used. A shortage of corn and an over- 

 production of wheat may bring about market con- 

 ditions that would warrant its feeding. Damaged 

 wheat, likewise, should be fed rather than sold at 

 a low price ; for, although the flour value, which 

 determines the price, may be very low, the feed- 

 ing value may be high. Wheat is fed as an 

 appetizer by mixing it with other grains. Since 

 it is so hard it should usually be ground or soaked 

 before feeding. 



In the milling of wheat for flour, several by- 

 products are produced. These are usually known 

 as shorts and bran, and are important stock 

 feeds. Their composition varies in products from 

 different mills. In general, shorts contain most 

 of the germ and the screenings from the various 



