AMERICAN WHEAT AND CORN. 59 



more albuminoids and gluten than any heretofore examined. This 

 would not only be remarkable for any flour, but is still more so for one 

 of low grade. How it was graded is unknown. It makes a very dark 

 bread. 



BAKING EXPERIMENTS WITH FLOURS FROM VARIOUS SOURCES. 



The experiments of the McDougall Brothers in London, in the autumn 

 of 1882, upon the baking qualities of flour made from wheats in the 

 English market from different parts of the world, have had a wide cir- 

 culation. The statistician of this Department in his report upon the 

 condition of the crops for December, 1883, mentions and quotes them 

 as follows : 



EXPERIMENTS IN BREAD-MAKING. 



In the autumn of 1882 the secretary of state of India arranged with McDougall 

 Brothers, millers and bakers, London, to conduct a series of experiments with wheats 

 from India in comparison with average samples of wheat from the principal coun- 

 tries producing this grain. Of the conditions required by the secretary they say : 



"1. That we should take a given quantity of each of these four representative In- 

 dian wheats, viz., Indian fine soft white, Indian superior soft red, Indian average hard 

 white, Indian average hard red, and manufacture them into flour by the ordinary 

 process of grinding under millstones. Also that we should take similar quantities of 

 the same wheats and manufacture them into flour by means of crushing between roll- 

 ers, according to the system known as the Hungarian or roller system. 2. That we 

 should take a given quantity of each flour so produced and manufacture it into 

 bread. 3. That we should note the qualities and other characteristics of the flours 

 produced, also of the offals, viz., middlings, pollard, and bran. 4. That we should 

 procure the following representative wheats, of fair average quality of the season, as 

 then being sold on Mark Lane market, and, for the purpose of obtaining results for 

 comparison, deal with them precisely as above indicated, both as regards flour, bread, 

 and offals, viz., English average, American (red winter), American (spring), Austra- 

 lian average, California average, Russian Saxouska, Russian Taganrog, Russian 

 Kubauka, Russian Ghirka, Egyptian Buhi. and Egyptian Saida." 



The quantity used in each case was 5,000 pounds. The samples varied in weight 

 from 57^ pounds for the Saida Egyptian to 64 pounds for the soft Indian white va- 

 riety. The weight of the separate " berries " varied greatly ; those of American spring 

 were smallest of all, 100 weighing 35.5 grains ; winter, 49.6 grains ; California, 47.7 

 grains. The Australian were heaviest, 80.5 grains ; Indian, from 51.8 to 77.7 grains. 

 The Saxonska Russian was 37.3 grains, next to American spring the smallest, and 

 containing the most gluten, 23.2 per cent.; yet the size appears to be no indication of 

 the proportion of gluten in other samples, as the heaviest, the Australian, averaged 

 11.6 per cent., and the poorest in gluten, bearing only 4.4 per cent., was of medium 

 weight, 50.1 for 100. 



