MOKPHOLOGY OF THE BAELEY GRAIN. 



23 



plished without great loss. That is, the more nearly a grain ap- 

 proaches a sphere in shape, the less need be the loss in malting; and 

 the greater the ratio of the longer axis of the grain to the shorter the 

 more difficult becomes the malting. In extreme types, such as the 

 Chinese barley shown in figure 5, efficient malting is impossible. If 

 the process is stopped in a reasonable time, there remains an unaffected 

 portion at the distal extremity, whereas if germination is continued 

 mitil this portion becomes softened, the entire proximal end wiU have 

 been utiHzed by the plant. The 2-rowed barleys from Smyrna are 

 less marked examples of the same defect. They are almost ideal in 

 character, considered 

 from the standpoint of 

 high extract alone, ex- 

 cept for their unfortu- 

 nately long grain. The 

 shape of the grain makes 

 this barley difficult to 

 malt, and the extract is 

 probably measurably 

 less than would be the 

 case if the same seed 

 contents were differently 

 arranged. Barleys with 

 long grains and mth 

 pointed ends are to be 

 avoided for malting pur- 

 poses, if yield of extract 

 be even of secondary 

 interest. 



The amount of diastase 

 present in any type of 

 barley must depend upon 

 the urea and vigor of the 

 secreting .surface. If the 

 secreting siii-faee he large, enzymatic action should l)e ainple. As 

 pr(rvif)usly pointed out, ihe proportion of the secieting surfsice juust, 

 by the laws of geometry, increase; as the size of the l)erry decreases. 

 Thus, in sinuU-ber'ri('d baileys the diastatic power will he high, regjiid- 

 less of the nature; of its endosf)erm. If, in addition, the endosperm he- 

 dwarfed hy a lack of nornuil sliuch mfiliial ion, I'esultint;' in a hi!j,ii- 

 nitrogen grain ev(!n for its class, tin; excess of diastase hccomes still 

 gn!atei- and results in u malt adapted to the use of distillers. Tlu; 

 fjuestioii of increasing t hi-, fund ion in such haileys ( hus seems sup(M- 

 fluous. Nev(Mtheless, as will he sli(»wn later, even in the case of the 



Fig. 5. 



rwo grains of a Chinese barloy, a spindlo-shapcd grain 

 very dillicult In malt. 



