A. STUDY OF WHEAT. 



with very thin cell-walls which leave quite a cavity in the center as 

 seen at "B." This cavity in all probability is filled with gas of 

 some kind, and if we estimate several hundred of these hairs on 

 each grain of wheat, which is by no means too large an estimate, 

 would it not be right to wonder if the breaking up of these hairs 

 and the escaping of the gas might not be sufficient to explain some 

 of the mill explosions of the present time? With this thought in 

 mind we obtained a short time since some of the*dressings left after 

 the flour had passed through a middlings purifier, and were sur- 

 prised to find such a large per cent, of the mass to consist of these 



/ 



Fig. 2. Hairs found at the end of a Wheat Kernel. X 75. 



hairs. Nearly half of the entire quantity was composed of these 

 fine, delicate hairs, that are so light and inflammable. Chem- 

 istry teaches us that almost any dry material when powdered and 

 mixed with air in just the right proportion, will explode if a flame 

 is brought near. Now these hairs are so light and dry that they 

 float in the air easily, and they burn very readily when thrown into- 

 the air over a gas-jet. If chance has mixed this dry powder at just 

 the right proportion with air for an explosion, and if chance has. 



