Feeding Stuff's. 135 



II. WHEAT AND ITS BY-PRODUCTS IN MILLING. 



Since it costs more to produce wheat than corn, and since our 

 population is steadily increasing, it is reasonable to suppose that 

 wheat will never be used in any considerable amount for feeding 

 stock in this country, as it was at one time. But the feeder should 

 know both its absolute and relative value, for the low grades of 

 wheat would better be fed to stock than sold. 



161. Wheat as a feed. Compared with corn, wheat carries 

 slightly more carbohydrates in the form of starch, more crude pro- 

 tein, and much less fat. It also has somewhat more phosphorus 

 and potash, and is therefore superior to corn for building bone and 

 muscle in young and growing animals a statement corroborated by 

 the experience of feeders. Fed alone to fattening animals wheat 

 yields about 10 per ct. less returns than corn, but when mixed 

 with corn, oats, or barley the combination is superior to any one 

 of these feeds. Wheat-fed steers and pigs have less fat and more 

 bright-colored lean meat than those fed corn. Because the kernels 

 are small and hard, wheat should be ground for all farm animals 

 except sheep. Wheat flour and meal fed alone are unsatisfactory 

 because they form a pasty mass in the animal's mouth, a condi- 

 tion which can be remedied by adding some material such as 

 bran or corn meal. (414, 527, 623, 746, 848) 



Those who raise wheat should sell only the best grades, retain- 

 ing for their animals all shrunken and damaged grain, which at 

 best has but a low selling value. (526) If only slightly charred 

 or injured by smoke in elevator fires, wheat has very considerable 

 feeding value. Several stations have fed frozen wheat to pigs with 

 returns about equal to those yielded by marketable grain. (848) 



162. Flour manufacture. The wheat kernel proper is covered 

 with three strawlike coats or skins. Beneath these comes the 

 fourth, called the "aleurone layer," which is rich in crude pro- 

 tein, and which in milling goes with the other coats to form bran. 

 The germ, or embryo plant, in each wheat kernel is rich in oil, 

 crude protein, and mineral matter. The remainder of the kernel 

 consists of thin-walled cells packed with starch grains. Among 

 the starch grains are protein particles called " gluten," which 

 give to wheat-flour dough that tenacity so essential in bread mak- 

 ing. In producing flour the miller aims to secure all the starch 

 and gluten possible from the wheat grains, while avoiding the germ 

 and bran. He leaves out the germs because they make a sticky 



