THE CEREALS. 95 



and partly opaque and soft in that case its composition will corre- 

 spond with its intermediate aspect. By examining the cut surfaces 

 of a grain which has been cut transversely with a sharp knife a 

 fair notion of its richness or poverty in albuminoids may indeed be 

 easily gained. 



AVERAGE COMPOSITION OF INDIAN WHEAT. 



The nutrient-ratio is here i : 5*2, and the nutrient- value 84*6. 

 It should be added that the starch named above contains a 

 small quantity, about 2 per cent., of the sugar or sugars found 

 in many cereals, but this' may be regarded as not appreciably 

 lowering the nutrient-value of the 68'4 parts set down as "starch." 



The ash of wheat, though not large in amount, is of great 

 importance as a source of mineral nutrients when this grain is 

 used as human food, about 30 per cent, of it being potash and 

 45 per cent, phosphoric acid. 



The various mill-products obtained in grinding wheat differ 

 much from each other and from the original grain, in several 

 important particulars. For instance, the following figures were 

 obtained in a series of analyses which I made of an entire series 

 of such mill-products : 



Per cent. Nitrogen. Per cent. Oil. 

 Whole Wheat ... ... 1*692 ... 2 '02 



Flour (whites) ... ... 1-621 ... 1-4 



Flour (seconds) ... ... 1*967 ... i'8z 



Bran ... ... 2-143 2-75 



Sharps (fine) ... ... 2'6o8 ... 3*50 



These products represent but four out of a total of twelve, 

 but they suffice to show how large a proportion of nitrogenous 



