MONTANA -GROWN WHEAT. 7 



It is possible that still another definition of a good milling wheat 

 might be offered by a miller producing semolina for the manufacture 

 of macaroni and other edible pastes. He desires a wheat which will 

 produce a hard granular semolina containing a high percentage of 

 gluten or gluten proteids, which are responsible for the peculiar quali- 

 ties necessary in the manufacture of such products. He also desires 

 a rich creamy or yellow product. Durum wheat offers a combina- 

 tion of qualities that make it especially desirable for such purposes. 



COLOR OF FLOUR AND BREAD. 



The importance attached to color of flour is dependent upon the 

 natural demand of the consumer of white bread. The factors of 

 color and flour yield bear a direct relationship to each other, the 

 former being in a sense a limiting factor of the second. Were it 

 not for the sacrifice of color, wheat could be ground much closer and 

 the flour yield considerably increased without the flour suffering a 

 marked deterioration of other quahties. In a study of the tables 

 that follow, the color score of the bread and the flour yield or per- 

 centage of flour should be considered together. 



WATER ABSORPTION. 



The importance of the water absorption of a unit quantity of 

 flour and its direct relationship to yield of bread have been discussed 

 in the consideration of milling quality. It suffices to say that this 

 factor is of considerable commercial importance. It is generally 

 highest in the more glutinous flours and lowest in the soft, starchy 

 types. In the following tables water absorption is expressed as the 

 percentage of water used. A brief statement will explain the mean- 

 ing of this term. In the baking tests 340 grams of flour are used in 

 each loaf. If, in mixing, the equivalent of 170 grams of water were 

 used, the absorption would be expressed as 50 per cent. 



LOAF VOLUME AND TEXTURE. 



In the baking tests which are reported herein, 340 grams of flour 

 were used in each instance and the measured volume of the resultant 

 loaf is expressed in cubic centimeters. Loaf volume, more than any 

 Other one factor, is considered indicative of strength in flour, but 

 it should always be considered in connection with the texture score, 

 which is based. upon the size and number of air cells and the char- 

 acter of the cell walls. 



HARD WINTER WHEAT. 



As has been said, the wheat most extensively grown in Montana 

 is hard winter wheat of the type known as Turkey. Although the 

 production of spring wheat of the harder varieties has increased 

 very rapidly during the past few years, the production of winter 



