778 DISCUSSION ON WHEAT: 
It seems, therefore, that the cellulose envelope of the starch cells is the 
impediment to the maximum effect of diastatic action. 
These points have a direct bearing upon a point which arises in milling 
concerning fine versus coarse dressing—whether it is desirable to make a 
lively granular flour or a softer feeling flour consisting of much smaller 
particles. The latter should contain a much larger proportion of fissured 
cells than the former. 
The author has found that flours made from wheat produced in very 
hot, dry climates, as a rule, yield relatively small quantities of gas in 
panary fermentation. The starch so produced by Nature becomes so stable 
and so resists disintegration that in fermenting flour made from such wheats 
under old conditions of milling proper diastatic action is not produced ; 
by the skilful application of water, or by adding either malt extract or 
proper yeast foods, or by a combination of these methods, the miller can and 
should produce flour capable of making better and more nutritious bread. 
Four years ago the author found that if an aqueous extract of bran be 
added to the water used in bread-making it has a marked effect in increasing 
the size of loaf from certain flours, the effect being substantially the same 
even if the extract be boiled. After analysing this extract and adding the 
various constituents found therein to many flours during the processes of 
bread-making, he found that when sugar was added it operated in ways 
already described; that absolute diastase or its equivalent in malt extract 
in many cases operated most beneficially ; that nitrogen added in the form 
of more or less decomposed peptone, or better still in the form of ammonium 
phosphate, did a great amount of good in some cases; lastly, that the three 
phosphates forming almost exclusively the mineral matter of flour (phos- 
phates of potash, magnesium and calcium) operated very beneficially in 
some cases. The phosphates did good frequently, even when the gas evolved 
in fermentation was reduced as the result of their use; the explanation of 
the benefit so obtained was not forthcoming until Professor T. B. Wood 
showed how dilute solutions of various acids, alkalis and salts had a very 
great influence on the physical characteristics of gluten. 
It is desirable to ascertain whether these phosphates have a toughening 
effect on all flours or only in some cases; also whether it is desirable to 
obtain a proper balance of the three phosphates; in other words, whether 
it is the presence of any one in sufficient quantity which is essential or 
whether all that is necessary is to secure the presence of either or all in 
sufficient quantity. 
If the soluble extract of the entire husk of wheat be used—that which 
the consumer would swallow in eating wholemeal bread—the effect on the 
bread is bad, but if we select from the whole set of constituents those which 
are desirable, we obtain good and sometimes very good results. 
In view of the beneficial results obtained from treatment of some flours 
with these phosphates experiments in manuring wheat should be made with 
the phosphates of potash and magnesium instead of with the sulphates, so 
that it may be seen whether the plant can assimilate a larger quantity of 
these salts than it ordinarily does, and whether an increased quantity of 
the salts if found in wheat so manured has any effect on the quality of the 
flour and in particular on the quality of the gluten. The substitution of 
ammonium phosphate for sulphate of ammonia or nitrate of soda should 
also be tested. 
As a result of panary fermentation the nitrogenous matter of flour 
originally insoluble in water becomes soluble to a very large extent indeed. 
It is desirable to ascertain whether this change should be helped or retarded 
and what is the optimum degree of such solubility. 
Stability of Dough and Yield of Bread per Sack of Flowr.—It seems at 
first sight that the yield of bread per sack of flour is likely to depend upon 
