Ch. X.] ON WHEAT. J55 



for seed should be allowed to stand until the last moment at which it can 

 he cut with safety. The corn is ground into meal of various degrees of 

 fineness ; and a bushel of 60 lbs.' weight generally 'yields, when dressed, 

 about the following quantities, namely : — ^ 



Fine flour .... 25^ lbs. 



Household ditto . . . 22^ lbs. 



Pollards . . . . s" lbs. 



Brau ... .3 lbs. 



A bushel of wheat, therefore, averages 48 lbs. of both kinds of flour, of 

 that sort called " seconds,'' which is alone used for making bread through- 

 out the greater part of England ; and a sack of marketable flonr must 

 by law weigh 280 lbs. These products must, however, vary according to 

 the quality of the grain, as some will produce more or less bran, as the 

 husk may be more or less thick ; and the bakers admit they can make two 

 or three more quartern loaves than the usual quantity, from one sack of 

 flour, when it is the genuine produce of good wheat. Thus it was found 

 upon a comparative trial between English and Scotch wheat, of apparently 

 equal quality, that there was a difference in favour of the former of no 

 less that 13 lbs. of bread upon 2^cwts. of flour*. 



SEED WHEAT. 



We have already observed, in our remarks upon the growth of corn, that 

 most experienced farmers prefer a cAang-e of seed to that grown by them- 

 selves. This is, indeed, more generally considered desirable with regard 

 to wheat than any other species of grain, and some men look upon it as so 

 important, that they will make almost any sacrifice rather than not have a 

 different kind from that produced on their own land. The change, how- 

 ever, is not always successful ; for it frequently hap])ens that a fine sample 

 of wheat produces an inferior crop, and good grain is grown from seed of 

 indifferent quality. This must, however, be in most cases attributed rather 

 to the soil and season than to the sort of corn, and it will ever be found the 

 most prudent course to choose the best qualities for seed. 



In order to judge correctly of the sample, it should be retained a minute or 

 two in the closed hand, and then passed gently through it, to ascertain if the 

 grain be plump, hard, dry, and smooth, with a certain sense of mellow fulness 

 in the feel ; for, if it handles rough, and does notslip readily through the fin- 

 gers, it will be found thick-skinned, damp, and unprofitable to the miller. Of 



* The experiment was upon a Winchester quarter of each kind, ground and baked 

 into bread at the Rotherhithe mills, near London, and the result was as follows : — 



SCOTCH. ENGLISH. 



Weight 60i lb. per bushel. Weight 60 lb. per bushel. 



Flour . . . . G 2 4 Flour 



I\Iidlings . . . .037 Midlings .... 



Bran and pollard . . .10 Bran and pollard . 



Waste 11 lb. Waste 11 lb. 



From the above trial it will, however, be seen, that while the Scotch wheat, weighing 

 604 ^^'s- P^"" bushel, yielded only 1 bushel of bran or pollard, the English, weighing 60 

 lbs., gave G lbs. more of bran and pollard, which is contrary to the general estimate of 

 their properties, the English wheat being supposed to always yield the greatest quantity 

 of flour. The bread of each was of equal quality. 



As to the greater quantity of bread produced by an equal weight of English flour, the 

 cause appears to be, that the English flour is more absorbent than the Scotch, and 

 therefore, requires more water to bring the dough to the same consistency tor bemg 

 baked into bread ; and the physical quality is supposed to be occasioned by the climate 

 of England affording greater strength, of sunshine during the ripening of the corn. — 

 See the Farmer's Mag., vol. x.Kii., p, 2. 



