138 



KNOWLEDGE. 



April, 1913. 



Increase of acidity with age is another change of 

 importance, and it has been shown that the combin- 

 ation of the loss of mineral matter with an increase 

 in acidity is largely responsible for the degradation 

 of the gluten, which shows itself when the "strength " 

 of the gluten is tested physically. There is no 

 pronounced decrease in nitrogen content attending 

 this physical change. 



The chemical analysis of a wheat about three 

 thousand years old does not show any pronounced 

 variation from that of a new wheat except in these 

 two items. 



Nor is this of great importance when vitality is to 

 be considered, for the bulk of the grain, the endo- 

 sperm, is without life, and is only called upon to 

 support life when germination has commenced. On 

 the other hand, it must not be forgotten that the 

 close proximity of the endosperm to the life-contain- 

 ing embryo must result in changes such as loss of 

 moisture, being mutually felt. 



When the wheat grains are examined microscopi- 

 cally it is apparent that those of greatest antiquity 

 have suffered considerably at the hands of time, and 

 that the cementing material which binds the bundles 

 of starch together within the endosperm has decom- 

 posed, with the result that when such grains are 

 crushed they break up into minute, sharp-pointed 

 fragments, entirely different in appearance to those 

 from newer wheat. 



When wetted the dough produced from the flour 

 of the oldest wheat is entirely without " strength," a 

 fact which has been shown to result from a combina- 

 tion of changes, chemical and bacteriological, taking 

 place within the berry. 



It is striking that such a degradation of gluten is 

 not noticed also in wheats of fifty years of age, but 

 it is probable that no complete action can take place 

 within the grain until the tough integument has been 



oxidised or otherwise rendered permeable to air and 

 bacteria. 



The suggestion that the vitality of wheat or of any 

 seeds, depends upon the degree and rapidity of desic- 

 cation and the thickness of the integument is strongly 

 confirmed ; and the loss of moisture, either if too 

 rapid or extended over too great a period of time, 

 would tend to render the protective coating of the 

 seed pervious at a rate more or less rapid according 

 to the efficiency of the integument. On the other 

 hand, the cause of the loss of vitality of wheat in 

 ten years, which is the period recently given by 

 Carruthers and previously by others, must be exam- 

 ined more closely, for neither chemical nor micro- 

 scopical examination shows that there is sufficient 

 reason for the loss of vitality on these grounds 

 alone in so short a time. 



For this reason a number of experiments covering 

 a wide range of environmental conditions has been 

 undertaken. 



The experimental tubes, which have been prepared 

 in triplicate, will be examined in ten years' time, and 

 later at periods of ten years' interval if the first 

 results should justify such a procedure. 



A description of these experiments has been reser- 

 ved for a later occasion. 



In conclusion, I should be glad to express my 

 thanks to Mr. Paddison who has so admirably 

 prepared the photomicrographs for this research, 

 to Mr. W. A. Davis for supplying me with the 

 wheats of the years 1852 to 1854, and to my uncle, 

 Mr. Charles Whymper, for the specimen of Mummy 

 Wheat, the genuineness of which he has proved 

 both to his and my own satisfaction. 



Mr. A. Bradley has assisted me not a little in the 

 practical side of this research, and especially in 

 preparing the tubes and samples for future 

 examination. 



A HORSE AND COW IN HARNESS TOGETHER. 



Oxi-:n are still well 

 known in most countries 

 as beasts of burden, and 

 horses, in spite of motor 

 cars, ma}' yet remain a 

 little longer with us ; but 

 here we have in double 

 harness not an ox, which 

 would be strange enough, 

 but a milch cow yoked 

 with a horse in the hay 

 field. 



The photograph, from 

 which Figure 138 has 

 been made, was taken in 

 the summer of 1909 on 

 the golf links at Carls- 



I'rom a photograph by 



Figure 138. 

 A Horse and Cow in double harness. 



/.. J. ll'iiitct-Joyiier. 



bad, and the cow as 

 every-day partner in the 

 team did not appear to 

 receive anything but the 

 kindest treatment. A 

 great deal of the work of 

 picking up the haycocks 

 was done by the women 

 with the baskets, one of 

 whom appears in the 

 illustration. 



Thus the women, and 

 not the team, did most 

 of the work on the links 

 by bringing their loads 

 on their backs from 

 various parts of the links 

 to the cart. 



