ooMPomrioN OF uaAn« and flovs. 127 



a. All grains, as sold in market, or stored in gra* 

 naries, and in the state usually considered dry, contain 

 from 10 to 16 per cent of water, which may be driven 

 off by a gentle heat. Nearly every variety of flour haa 

 a little larger amount than the above. 



We will now notice the composition of some of the 

 leading varieties of grain, in their organic part 



Wheat is oiu* of the most important of all crops. 



>m 50 to 70 per cent of starch, 



:ii of gluten, and from 3 to 5 per 



cent ot faiiy matter. The proportion of gluten is said 



to be largest in the grain of quite warm countries. 



a. It is a singular fact, that in all the seeds of 

 whf: ' ' f other grains, the principal part of the 

 oil or in the skin, as also does a large por- 



tion ol Uic gluten. The I h of 



its nutritive and fattening <, iiting 



our flour to the utuiost possible extent, we dimiuisn 

 ■omewhat its valut- for focwl. The phosphates of the 

 ash also lie to a a ice in the skin. 



6. These substai.. ..-. .^.cui all to be collected here 

 for the benefit of the young shooL When it first 

 starts, und until ii ^ above tli< and ex- 



pands its first tru. it has to lur nutri- 



' •■ stores already provider! in the seed, 



•een prepared not only, but de{>osited in 

 of the seecf most near to the germ, so that 

 1 ishment may be easily and readify obtained. 



The best tine /lour contains about 70 flis. of starch 

 in eacli hundrctl. The residue of the hundred lbs. 

 coixsists of 10 or 12 lbs. gluten, 6 to 8 lbs. of sugar and 

 gum, 10 to 14 lbs. of \'. "oil. 



((luten, as has been i )ip to a g^eat 



bulk when heated, and Uxomesi full of holes. Th« 

 same thine: takes place in the baking of brrad. It ts 

 ^^' it gives tenacity to the dough, so that 



wilt ; ^ n\' f':*"; illc lilu-r it.wl .lurliwr if.,. f(.f^f|^p{f. 



