ENTIRE WHEAT FLOUR. 69 



A company which claims to be "the originators and only 

 makers of this grade (entire wheat) of flour" state that the 

 "husk to which is attached the fibrous beard and which is com- 

 posed of silex (flint) and woody fiber, is innutritive and indigest- 

 ible," and in their process is entirely removed from the berry 

 before it is reduced to flour. Unfortunately for the accuracy of 

 this statement, the flour of this brand, like that of all other 

 brands of entire wheat flour thus far examined by us, uniformly 

 contains particles of the seed coatings and fibrous "beard" or 

 brush. The advertisement claims that after these husks and 

 hairs are removed, the remainder of the berry is reduced to an 

 even fineness. Unfortunately again for the accuracy of this 

 statement, the bran from their mill, as well as from all others 

 thus far examined, uniformly contains portions from the layers 

 they claim to retain wholly within the flour. Judged from their 

 advertisement, the bran from their flour would be bran in the 

 botanical sense, and would consist largely of woody fiber and 

 silica, and consequently worthless as food for stock. In point of 

 fact, it is good quality bran in the commercial sense. It is valu- 

 able for cattle feeding and carries, as all such bran does, more 

 protein than the wheat from which it was made. 



HOW DOES ENTIRE WHEAT FLOUR DIFFER FROM STRAIGHT OR 

 PATENT FLOUR? 



Starting from the same wheat, the same bran would be ob- 

 tained in the manufacture of entire wheat flour as in patent flour. 

 The 85 pounds of entire wheat flour would include the 72 pounds 

 of straight, and the only source of the remaining 13 pounds in the 

 entire wheat flour is the 1 to 2 pounds of second clear and red 

 dog flours, and the shorts or middlings which are separated when 

 patent flour is made. It therefore follows that whatever of nu- 

 tritive value there is in entire wheat flour that is lacking in patent 

 flour must be sought for in the middlings and low grade flours. 

 These materials are usually higher in protein content than the 

 straight flour. The protein of the most importance in wheat 

 flours is in the form of gluten. The gluten of second clear flour 

 is of poor quality and on this account this grade of flour makes a 

 heavy loaf. The red dog flour is obtained from the germ or 

 embryo and adjacent parts of the kernel. While usually high 



