72 ESSAYS ON WHEAT 



of flour both as to quality and quantity. Different lots 

 of a single variety of hard spring wheat, such as Red 

 Fife or Marquis, may vary, with the conditions under 

 which they have been produced, in weight per bushel, in 

 plumpness, in color, and in milling and baking qualities. 

 Hard spring wheat may also contain a smaller or greater 

 number of soft kernels of some other variety, with a pro- 

 portionate reduction in the grade. The supreme test of 

 wheat is its milling and baking qualities. Judged by this 

 test, however, the crop of even a single variety is never 

 quite uniform, and the difference between two distinct 

 varieties is often very great. 



When wheat is classified according to its freedom from 

 admixtures, its soundness, and its milling and baking 

 qualities as indicated by hardness and softness, the result- 

 ing classes are known as grades. Let us now consider 

 the nature of these grades for western wheat. 



The statutory grades are the highest grades, are defined 

 in the Grain Act, and do not vary with the crop. There 

 are four of these grades for spring wheat. 



No. 1 Manitoba Hard. This wheat must be sound and 

 well cleaned, weighing not less than 60 pounds to the 

 bushel, and must be composed of at least 75 per cent, of 

 Hard Red Eife or Marquis.^ 



No. 1 Manitoba Northern. This wheat must be sound 

 and well cleaned, weighing not less than 60 pounds to 

 the bushel, and must be composed of at least 60 per cent, 

 of Hard Red Fife or Marquis. 



26 The definitions here given are taken from the Canada Grain Act 

 of 1912, with the exception of the words or Marquis. The definitions 

 were made when Red Fife was the dominant wheat in the West ; but, 

 soon after Marquis began to be largely grown, it became necessary to 

 make provision for the new wheat in the statutory grades. The 

 words or Marquis were therefore added after Red Fife by an order 

 of the Board of Grain Commissioners. 



