THE CEREALS. 93 



had risen to 4-5 million quarters, but fell in 1882-83 to 3-2 millions. 

 In 1881-82 the value of the wheat exported from India exceeded 

 that of the rice, and amounted to no less than 1 1 per cent, of 

 the total exports. Forty-six per cent, of the exported wheat 

 (in 1882-83) was destined for England, 25 per cent, for France, 

 and ii per cent, for Belgium. The fluctuations of the Indian 

 export wheat-trade depend not so much upon the local harvests 

 as upon the yield in the United States and the prices ruling in 

 Europe. 



The composition of wheat-grain shows some variations, but 

 they are almost entirely limited to the relative 'proportions of 

 starch and of nitrogenous matters, although the mineral matters 

 or ash, and indeed all the minor constituents of the grain are, 

 of course, not quite fixed in amount. Still, if a wet season 

 increases the percentage of ash, if a thin-skinned well-developed 

 sample contains less fibre, and if a plump dark-coloured specimen 

 has a larger proportion of oil or fat, all such variations are quite 

 unimportant in comparison with those exhibited by the starch 

 and albuminoids. The starch, always constituting, as it does, 

 something like two-thirds of the weight of the grain, does not 

 show this difference in so marked a manner as the albuminoids. 

 If the latter amount to 18 or 20 per cent., instead of 13, the 

 former constituent will not be reduced (from 68) to less than 

 63 or 6 1 per cent. a reduction which, in comparison with the 

 total amount present, is much less conspicuous than a rise from 

 13 to 20 in the nitrogenous compounds. 



Besides the general dryness of the grain of Indian wheat, 

 which, as imported in bulk into this country and analysed 

 promptly, contains at least 2 per cent, less moisture than average 

 English wheat, the albuminoids are decidedly higher. I have 

 never yet met with an Indian wheat containing less than 10 per 

 cent, of albuminoids ; but a large number of samples of first- 

 rate English, Canadian, and Australian samples give numbers 

 between 8 and 9. The average percentage of albuminoids in 

 the Indian examples yet analysed is about 13*5, but some 

 specimens have been as low as 10*3, and some as high as 167. 



