A Rainless Wheat 



real pride of Russia, a grain containing a con- 

 siderable amount of nitrogen, 4 to 5 per cent. 

 While Western European varieties of soft wheat 

 contain 6 to 7 per cent, of dry gluten, 1 our soft 

 wheat contains 10 to 11 per cent., and our hard 

 Russian wheats 15 to 17 per cent. Of hard 

 Russian wheats there are numerous varieties 

 which, while completely uniform in the character 

 of translucent, almost ambery grain, vary some- 

 times in the colour of the ear, and sometimes in 

 the velvetiness of the glume (outside leaflet of 

 each grain). The most important amongst the 

 hard wheats are the Bieloturka and Kubanka. 

 In the south and south-west of Russia there is 

 grown a very valuable wheat named Arnautka, 

 unrivalled for the manufacture of macaroni, 

 and much esteemed in Western Europe." 



The Durum Wheat Zone 



The chief durum wheat countries are Russia, 

 Turkestan, Italy, and North Africa, and 

 although these types grow in many other parts 



1 Gluten is the principal nitrogenous part of wheat. The 

 higher the gluten-content of flour the more water will the 

 dough absorb ; consequently it yields more bread. Hard 

 wheat produces a strong flour, rich in gluten, which makes 

 light bread. Soft wheat produces a more attractive-looking 

 loaf, but it is less nutritious, because it has more starch and 

 less gluten. 



109 



